Asia: Support after the Floods
Cyclones, flash floods, mudslides: In Asia, extreme weather events cause more natural disasters than anywhere else in the world. In 2024, again, millions of people were directly affected by the consequences.
northern Afghanistan. In total, over 60,000 people were affected by the floods. Photo: Union Aid/Malteser International
Afghanistan was hit particularly hard in 2024. People here are suffering from an already catastrophic humanitarian situation. According to UN OCHA, more than half of the population is dependent on aid. In the first half of the year, northern Afghanistan was hit repeatedly by heavy rainfall with floods, flash floods, and mudslides – with devastating consequences: Over 350 people died and thousands were left homeless. In July 2024, Malteser International (MI) and its Afghan partner organization Union Aid distributed food, hygiene articles, and relief supplies to particularly vulnerable households.
Cyclones and flash floods destroy livelihoods
Cyclones are not uncommon during the monsoon season in Asia, but they are becoming more severe due to climate change. In Bangladesh, cyclone “Remal” caused devastation and flooding at the end of May 2024. In some areas, the entire harvest was destroyed. In partnership with the local organizations Mukti Foundation and CDD, MI worked with the residents of 34 affected villages in the southwest of Bangladesh to rebuild houses, latrines, and stables.
Also in Bangladesh, the world’s largest refugee camp (Kutupalong) and the Cox‘s Bazar region were flooded in the summer after days of heavy rain. In Kutupalong, MI worked with local partner GK to distribute clothing and mosquito nets, and supported local partner PHALS to provide food to affected households in Eidgaon and Pekua townships.
In September, typhoon “Yagi” caused devastating floods and landslides in Myanmar. After the floodwaters receded, debris and mud piled up as high as two meters (six feet) in some areas. Roads and bridges were severely damaged, and hundreds of acres of farmland destroyed. In total, approximately 20,000 people were affected in eastern Shan State. MI distributed relief goods including hygiene kits, chlorine tablets, ceramic water filters, and cash assistance.
Better prepared for future catastrophes
„Disaster risk reduction is an integral part of all our projects. The goal in the future will also be to better predict impending extreme weather events through precise analysis, allowing preventive measures to be taken,“ says Cordula Wasser, Head of the Asia Department at MI. An example from Pakistan shows how preventive measures can work. Many residents of Chitral District are still heavily affected by the effects of severe flooding in 2022. MI is working with communities and its Pakistani partner organization, WEO, to protect vulnerable households from recurrent flooding by building dams and floodwalls.
“Cyclone Remal destroyed my house. The government didn‘t help me. And I didn’t know what to do, how to repair the house on my own. MI and Mukti Foundation helped me to rebuild my house and provided all the necessary materials.”
Rita Halder (46), from Tala, District Sakhira, Bangladesh (Photo: Mukti Foundation/Malteser International)
