Urgent Travel Advisory Issued for Southeast Asia as Severe Storms and Floods Impact Millions

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Smartraveller — the Australian government’s official travel advice portal — has issued weather-related warnings for Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, as the region reels from the impact of Cyclone Senyar and other deadly storms.

Indonesians are going through the back-breaking work of shovelling mud from inundated streets and houses in the wake of Cyclone Senyar.

The cyclone was among the powerful storms including Cyclone Ditwah, Typhoon Koto and monsoonal rains that recently swept across South and Southeast Asia, devastating large swathes of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka and killing hundreds.

The devastating impact of Ditwah has marked it as the most severe natural disaster to hit Sri Lanka in decades, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency. Reports indicate that over a million people have been affected, with more than 460 confirmed fatalities, hundreds still missing, and approximately 30,000 homes sustaining damage.

A woman sorts through wet baskets of clothes

In Indonesia, residents of the flood-stricken Pidie Jaya region have voiced their struggles, describing a sense of abandonment as they face the aftermath largely on their own. The scene in Pidie Jaya is one of destruction and despair, with many residents feeling left to fend for themselves against a landscape engulfed in mud.

Indonesia has borne the brunt of the disaster, with the death toll exceeding 700. Additionally, at least 500 individuals remain unaccounted for, and more than a million people have been forced from their homes.

Junita Sari, a resident of Pidie Jaya, expressed her heartbreak, saying, “I’ve lived here since childhood. I was born here. My heart feels broken. Even my eyes can’t cry anymore. I lost it all.”

Efforts are underway to mitigate the damage, with authorities deploying excavators to clear main roads of debris and mud. However, the task of reaching and rehabilitating individual homes presents a much more formidable challenge.

Some locals, like Zakaria, said: “When I returned home, I had nothing anymore.”

As one resident put it, “I don’t think we can clear this house just like this. We will need more help.”

In some flooded parts of Indonesia, the mud is as high as people’s roofs. Source: SBS News / Claudia Farhart

Another resident, Edi Asra, said it’s hard to speak without crying, estimating the cleanup could take one full year.

“We cannot imagine how much, how long – maybe three months, maybe six months, maybe one year,” Asra said.

People stand near a damaged bridge after a flood hit their village.

Authorities have sent excavators to help clear the main streets of mud in the Indonesian town of Pidie Jaya in Aceh province, but accessing and restoring houses remains a challenge. Credit: Xinhua News Agency via Getty

Others, like Muhammad Daud, are worried about finances.

“Maybe I can’t clear this house. But to buy a new house, we have no money,” Daud said.

Advice to travellers as foreign aid expanded

Smartraveller, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s website, has issued weather-related warnings for Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.

It cautions heavy rains have caused major flooding in parts of Indonesia, including popular travel destinations such as Bali and greater Jakarta, disrupting transport and making flooded areas dangerous to enter.

While Sri Lanka continues to feel the effects of Cyclone Ditwah, with flooding, landslides and damage to infrastructure affecting roads, rail and essential services.

An Indonesian mosque site is covered in mud and flood debris

The local community set a goal to clear their mosque of mud in time for this week’s Friday prayers. Source: SBS News / Claudia Farhart

“Check local conditions with local authorities or your travel provider before making plans to travel by road or rail,” the website states.

In the Philippines, extreme weather is bringing heavy rain and dangerous winds, with risks of flash flooding, landslides and transport disruptions, including possible airport closures, the portal warns.

This comes as the Australian government has pledged an additional $5 million for the Indo-Pacific region due to recent extreme weather events, such as cyclones and flooding, bringing the total aid to over $14 million since October.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement on Thursday: “Our thoughts are with all those affected by the recent floods and devastation in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka.”

“We are working with our partners in the region to deliver life-saving assistance to accelerate their response,” she said.

Funding from the government will go towards emergency relief, food, water and sanitation, and will prioritise the “most vulnerable”, including women, girls and people with disability.