Johannesburg — Cyril Ramaphosa has sent a message of solidarity to Southeast Asian countries and Sri Lanka, as the region grapples with one of the worst flooding and storm disasters in recent memory.
The South African president — posting in a tweet — said he “feels deeply for the nations of Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam … as well as Sri Lanka and Thailand,” honouring his recent visits to some of these countries, and expressed sympathy for the affected families, communities, rescue workers and medical teams.
“Our thoughts are with the affected families and communities, as well as the rescue and recovery teams and medical staff who are rendering services in these disastrous conditions,” he wrote.
I feel deeply for the nations of Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam – all of whom I was honoured to visit recently – as well as Sri Lanka and Thailand, where significant loss of life, injury and devastation has been caused by large-scale flooding.
Our thoughts are with the affected…
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) November 30, 2025
Widespread Devastation across Multiple Countries
The crises stem from a combination of heavy monsoon rains and rare tropical storms — including Cyclone Senyar (which struck the Malacca Strait) and Cyclone Ditwah — that have battered much of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean rim over the past few weeks.
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In Sumatra (Indonesia), flooding and landslides triggered by the storms have wrought severe damage: some provinces recorded death tolls over 300, with many more missing, and entire communities displaced.
Heavy rains have unleashed devastating floods and landslides across South Asia. Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia have all been hit, with rising death tolls and mass evacuations. pic.twitter.com/M8OUjfbRWx
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) November 28, 2025
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In southern Songkhla province, Hat Yai and other parts of southern Thailand, authorities confirmed dozens to hundreds of fatalities, widespread flooding of urban and rural areas, and disruption to basic services as water levels surged.
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Malaysia also saw heavy rainfall and floods, particularly in northern states affected by the tropical storm, with casualties and mass evacuations reported.
The Thai military evacuated and airlifted patients from submerged hospitals as floods swept through southern provinces and parts of Malaysia and Indonesia, killing dozens, while Aceh braced for more rain from a tropical cyclone https://t.co/jTqONiKDAt pic.twitter.com/6HNGBoGaUM
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 26, 2025
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Meanwhile, Sri Lanka — hit hard by Cyclone Ditwah — suffered flooding and mudslides that killed hundreds and left many missing, displacing large numbers of people and damaging critical infrastructure across central and lowland regions.
Overall, the cumulative toll of storms, floods and landslides across Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka has exceeded several hundreds — with some estimates suggesting death tolls near 1,000.
Hundreds are dead and missing across Southeast Asia after tropical cyclones caused heavy flooding and landslides in the region.
The death toll from floods and landslides on the Indonesian island of Sumatra rose to 303, officials said Sunday. https://t.co/C7THcnCxHG pic.twitter.com/GN1Uoe4IpN
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 30, 2025
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
