Malaysia — humanitarian situation

Malaysia has experienced recurring flooding events during the mid-2026 monsoon season, with particularly severe impacts in May and continuing through July. Heavy rainfall in mid-May affected Peninsular Malaysia, displacing 359 people across Johor and Kedah states, with evacuation centres established in Pontian and Kuala Muda districts (ECHO, ADINet). Through subsequent weeks, flooding persisted across multiple states including Sabah, Melaka, and Johor during late July, forming part of a broader pattern of disaster events affecting the ASEAN region (AHA Centre). These floods occurred alongside other climate-related hazards including landslides, storms, and wind-related disasters that impacted Malaysia throughout the reporting period from May through July. The flooding events reflect Malaysia's position within a region facing escalating climate risks. The country serves as both a transit and destination point for mixed migration flows, particularly for refugees from Myanmar, where an estimated 3.8 million people remained internally displaced as of end-May due to ongoing armed conflict and the impacts of the March 2025 earthquake UNHCR. While specific refugee population figures for Malaysia were not provided in available reports, the country continues to feature in regional analyses of intra-regional complementary pathways and mixed migration routes across Southeast Asia, with migration dynamics influenced by both protection needs and economic factors MMC, ADSP, IOM. The regional context underscores broader vulnerabilities across East Asia and the Pacific, where approximately 290 million children face exposure to multiple extreme climate hazards UNICEF. Ocean warming, marine heatwaves, and sea-level rise pose increasing risks to coastal communities across the South-West Pacific region, with 2025 recorded as the second warmest year on record for the area WMO. The humanitarian response to Myanmar-related displacement and regional disaster events faces funding constraints, with the Middle East crisis diverting global attention and resources from an already underfunded response in Southeast Asia UNHCR.