214 Missing as Heavy Rains Continue; Over 2 Million Displaced
IMF Sixth Bailout Tranche Delayed, Additional Support Requested
Indonesia Also Reports 883 Fatalities
Cyclone Ditwa, which struck Sri Lanka in South Asia, has resulted in over 600 local fatalities. The risk of landslides continues to increase as heavy rainfall persists.
According to AFP on December 6 (local time), Sri Lankan disaster authorities reported that the death toll from floods and landslides caused by Ditwa had reached 607, with 214 people missing. The total number of displaced people has exceeded 2 million. Safety officials stated, "Rainfall in the past 24 hours has exceeded 150 millimeters," and warned, "If the rain continues, instability in mountainous areas could worsen." They urged residents to "immediately evacuate to safe zones to avoid the risk of landslides."
On the 3rd, residents affected by flooding caused by Cyclone Ditwa in the Kandy region of Sri Lanka placed their belongings on railway tracks to dry them. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
Across Sri Lanka, rescue and recovery operations are ongoing as villages have been buried in mud and debris. The Sri Lanka tourism authority reported that around 300 stranded tourists have been rescued by helicopter and other means. The military has deployed thousands of personnel to affected areas to assist with recovery efforts.
The Sri Lankan government estimates that reconstruction costs will reach between 6 billion and 7 billion dollars (approximately 8.85 trillion to 10.3 trillion won). President Anura Dissanayake described Ditwa as "the most challenging natural disaster in Sri Lanka's history" and mentioned the need to negotiate additional support with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It has been reported that Sri Lanka has postponed the disbursement of the existing sixth tranche of its 2.9 billion dollar (about 4.28 trillion won) IMF bailout and has requested an increase in support.
Sri Lanka has been implementing austerity measures under IMF bailout conditions since its national default in 2022, making large-scale recovery and compensation efforts difficult. Following last week's state of emergency declaration, India, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have provided assistance, and the United States has also decided on emergency aid totaling 2 million dollars (about 3 billion won).
On the 3rd, amid heavy rain caused by Cyclone Ditwa, residents in the outskirts of Chennai, India, are seen walking through the flooded areas. AFP. Photo by AFP
Meanwhile, in Indonesia, which has also experienced severe flooding damage recently, the death toll in Aceh province in northern Sumatra has risen to 883, according to the Associated Press. Indonesia's meteorological agency has warned that heavy rainfall could intensify in Aceh, and that North Sumatra and West Sumatra regions are also at risk.
Indonesian relief organizations reported that "hundreds, possibly thousands, of villages in 50 areas have been affected," and that the scale of the damage could exceed the entire territory of Bangladesh.
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