Indonesia floods disaster: Death toll exceeds 1,000 and 218 are missing in Sumatra... 1.2 million in temporary shelters

Indonesia floods disaster: Death toll exceeds 1,000 and 218 are missing in Sumatra... 1.2 million in temporary shelters

The death toll from floods and landslides that struck North and West Sumatra province and Aceh in Indonesia has risen to 1,003, with 218 people still missing, according to the latest statement from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) on Saturday, December 13, 2025. The disaster, which began two weeks ago due to tropical storms and heavy monsoon rains, has also injured more than 5,400 people and displaced 1.2 million, who are currently living in temporary shelters. It is one of the worst natural disasters to hit the country since the 2004 tsunami in Aceh. Causes of the disaster: Climate change and deforestation The rapid spread of the floods is attributed to a powerful atmospheric river associated with a rare tropical cyclone in the Strait of Malacca. This resulted in torrential rainfall of up to 500 mm in some areas, with landslides destroying entire villages and inundating farms and roads. Environmental experts have confirmed that climate change is intensifying these storms…