Asia Floods Impact Millions
2 December 2025
Asia is confronting a wave of severe flooding and landslides as unusually intense seasonal rains sweep across the region, leaving millions displaced and dozens of communities cut off.
From South Asia to Southeast Asia, countries are reporting some of the worst weather-related disasters in recent years.
Sri Lanka has been hit especially hard. The death toll from its devastating floods and mudslides has climbed to more than 330, with at least 200 people still missing. Around 20,000 homes have been destroyed, forcing over 108,000 people into state-run shelters, according to the country’s Disaster Management Centre. A third of the island has reportedly been left without electricity or running water after a direct hit on the country from Cyclone Ditwah.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake described the situation as “the most challenging natural disaster” in Sri Lanka’s history. Emergency declarations remain in place, with rising water levels — particularly along the Kelani River — prompting further evacuation orders.
Entire villages have been buried under mud and boulders in central districts such as Kandy and Badulla, where many areas remain inaccessible. Residents report dwindling supplies of food and clean water as landslides continue to block all major roads.
Rescue teams, including a large number of military personnel, have been working around the clock. One survivor described scrambling onto a roof as water surged around them, saying part of the structure collapsed beneath their feet. “We were very lucky,” she told local reporters.
The Sri Lankan government has appealed for international assistance and urged citizens living abroad to support relief efforts.
Though Cyclone Ditwah has moved away from the island, officials warn that unstable conditions may continue throughout the monsoon season, with a significant risk of more flooding.
Sri Lanka’s crisis is unfolding alongside widespread flooding elsewhere in Asia.
Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand are all experiencing severe inundation, with millions affected by swollen rivers and landslides. In several provinces across Southeast Asia, transportation networks have broken down completely, and emergency shelters are reaching capacity as rainfall continues.
While monsoon seasons routinely bring heavy rains to the region, meteorologists note that this year’s extreme conditions are unusual in scale.
For Sri Lanka, the current disaster has become one of the worst in decades — surpassing even the catastrophic floods of 2003 — and it forms part of a broader pattern of increasingly destructive weather events across Asia.
Asia Media Centre