Devastating floods and landslides have killed over 900 people on Indonesia’s Sumatra island. Authorities warned that starvation in remote, cut-off areas could increase the death toll. The disaster management agency confirmed this number during a briefing on Saturday. Tropical storms and heavy monsoon rains hit Southeast and South Asia this week, causing landslides and floods from Sumatra’s rainforests to Sri Lanka’s plantations. More than 1,790 people have died across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. In Aceh and North Sumatra provinces, floodwaters destroyed roads, homes, and supply lines. Search teams in Aceh are still pulling bodies from "waist-deep" mud, said provincial governor Muzakir Manaf. He stated, "Many people need basic necessities. Many areas remain untouched in the remote areas of Aceh. People are not dying from the flood, but from starvation. That's how it is." Muzakir added that Aceh Tamiang region is "completely destroyed, from the top to the bottom, down to the roads and down to the sea." He said many villages there "are now just names." Survivor Fachrul Rozi said he and others were trapped for a week in a small shop with little food, sharing what supplies they had. Resident Munawar Liza Zainal expressed frustration at the slow disaster response and felt "betrayed" by the government’s hesitation to declare a national disaster, which could unlock more help. He said, "This is an extraordinary disaster that must be faced with extraordinary measures. If national disaster status is only declared later, what's the point?" Officials say the situation is manageable and may be hesitant to ask for foreign aid to avoid appearing incapable. As floodwaters fall, damage becomes visible, with images showing residents salvaging mud-covered furniture in North Sumatra. Elsewhere in the region, Sri Lanka reported 607 deaths, Thailand 276, Malaysia two, and Vietnam at least two deaths from related landslides. Experts say climate change is making monsoon rains heavier and more dangerous. In Sumatra, deforestation and logging have worsened flooding and landslides, increasing the disaster’s severity.