New landslide warnings issued as Sri Lanka cyclone toll hits 627; Recovery plans unveiled

By Amal JAYASINGHE and Alfath ASMUNDA in Banda Aceh
Colombo (AFP) Dec 7, 2025

Sri Lankan authorities issued fresh landslide warnings on Sunday with rains lashing areas already devastated by a powerful cyclone, as the death toll rose to 627.

A chain of tropical storms and monsoon rains has battered Southeast and South Asia, setting off landslides, flooding vast tracts and cutting off communities from Sumatra island's rainforests to the highland plantations of Sri Lanka.

At least 1,826 people have been killed in the natural disasters rolling across Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam over the past two weeks.

Indonesia's president on Sunday vowed to step up aid, with demonstrators rallying after the country's death toll surpassed 900.

More than two million people in Sri Lanka -- nearly 10 percent of the population -- have been affected by last week's floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, the worst on the island this century.

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said monsoon storms were adding more rain and making hillsides unstable, including in the central mountainous region and the northwestern midlands.

Helicopters and planes were being used on Sunday to supply communities cut off by landslides in the centre of the country.

The Sri Lanka Air Force said it had received a planeload of relief supplies from Myanmar on Sunday, the latest batch of foreign aid.

The government has confirmed 627 dead -- 471 from the lush tea-growing central region -- while 190 people remain unaccounted for.

The number of people in state-run camps had dropped to 90,000 from a peak of 225,000 as floodwaters receded across the island by Sunday, the DMC said.

More than 80,000 homes were damaged, including close to 5,000 that were completely destroyed, it added.

- 'National priority' -

In Indonesia, President Prabowo Subianto on Sunday flew back to Sumatra's hard-hit Aceh province, with a ministry saying his visit was "to ensure the acceleration of emergency response and recovery in affected areas".

The Indonesian government has so far shrugged off calls to declare a national disaster, which would free up resources and help government agencies coordinate their response. The toll in Indonesia on Sunday climbed to 921 dead, with 392 still missing.

Prabowo will also "monitor the distribution of aid, the evacuation process of residents, and measures to reopen road access", the Ministry of the State Secretariat said.

Speaking shortly after arriving in the provincial capital Banda Aceh, Prabowo promised that "we will put all our efforts into this, and later we will repair all the bridges, hopefully within one or two weeks".

Long queues formed for drinking water and fuel in Banda Aceh, and prices of basic commodities like eggs were skyrocketing, an AFP correspondent said.

Syahrul, a 35-year-old protester in northern Aceh, accused Prabowo and other officials of engaging in "disaster tourism".

"We don't need officials to just observe. We need their presence to address the issues faced by the community," Syahrul, who only gave one name, told AFP.

In Sri Lanka, the government unveiled a major compensation package on Friday to rebuild homes and revive businesses wiped out by the natural disaster, which hit the island as it was emerging from its 2022 economic meltdown.

A senior official earlier said recovery and reconstruction might cost up to $7 billion.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Friday it was considering Sri Lanka's request for an additional $200 million to help with rebuilding.

The money is on top of the $347 million tranche due later this month, part of a four-year, $2.9 billion IMF bailout loan agreed in 2023.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told parliament on Friday that Sri Lanka's economy had made a significant recovery, but was not strong enough to withstand the latest shock alone.

Sri Lanka unveils cyclone aid plan as rains persist
Colombo (AFP) Dec 6, 2025 - Disaster-hit Sri Lanka has unveiled a major compensation package to rebuild homes damaged by a deadly cyclone, even as the island prepared on Saturday for further landslides and flooding.

The government has confirmed 611 deaths, with another 213 unaccounted for and feared dead, in what President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has called the country's most challenging natural disaster.

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) issued fresh landslide warnings in several areas of the worst-affected Central Province, with the northeast monsoon gathering over the island and bringing more rain.

More than two million people -- nearly 10 percent of the population -- have been affected by last week's floods and landslides, the worst this century.

Survivors will be offered up to 10 million rupees ($33,000) to buy land in a safer location and build a new house, the finance ministry said in a statement late on Friday.

They will also receive livelihood support, including cash to pay for children's school books, kitchen appliances, bedding and rent if they are not given accommodation by the state.

The government did not say how much the bold package would cost, a concern given the country's recent economic turbulence.

A senior official earlier said recovery and reconstruction might cost up to $7 billion.

The central bank has ordered commercial banks, both state-owned and private, to reschedule loans of affected people and not to impose penalties on defaulting borrowers.

The government is also offering one million rupees in compensation for each person killed or left permanently disabled.

The DMC said nearly 75,000 homes were damaged, including close to 5,000 that were completely destroyed by last week's disasters.

Around 150,000 people remain in state-run shelters, down from a peak of 225,000.

The air force said it was still using helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft on Saturday to supply communities cut off by landslides in the centre of the country.

- IMF request -

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Friday it was considering Sri Lanka's request for an additional $200 million, on top of the $347 million tranche the country was already due to receive this month.

"The IMF remains closely engaged with the Sri Lankan authorities... and is committed to supporting the country," the Washington-based lender said.

Cyclone Ditwah devastated swathes of Sri Lanka as it was emerging from its severe 2022 economic crisis, following a four-year, $2.9 billion bailout loan agreed with the IMF in early 2023.

Dissanayake told parliament on Friday that Sri Lanka's economy had made a significant recovery, but was not strong enough to withstand the latest shock alone.

Despite assistance from the military and volunteers in flooded communities, fresh rains have hampered clean-up operations.

Residents evacuated from the landslide-prone central hills have been told not to return immediately, even if their homes were unaffected by the slips.