Malaysia — humanitarian situation

Malaysia continues to experience recurrent flooding and climate-related disasters as part of broader regional patterns affecting Southeast Asia. Between May and July 2026, flooding events were reported across multiple Malaysian states including Sabah, Melaka, Johor, Selangor, and Perak (NADMA, AHA Centre). These incidents occurred alongside other meteorological hazards including storms and wind-related disasters, forming part of a consistent pattern of climate vulnerability across the ASEAN region. The South-West Pacific, which includes parts of this maritime region, experienced its second warmest year on record in 2025, with ocean warming, marine heatwaves, and sea-level rise posing increasing risks to coastal communities and low-lying areas WMO. Malaysia serves as a destination country within mixed migration flows affecting Asia and the Pacific, particularly for refugees from Myanmar. By end-July 2026, Malaysia hosted refugees and asylum-seekers as part of regional displacement patterns driven by ongoing conflict in Myanmar, where an estimated 3.8 million people remained internally displaced by end-May due to armed conflict, human rights violations, and impacts from a March 2025 earthquake UNHCR. The Asia and Pacific region as a whole hosted 17.6 million people of concern to UNHCR by end-2025, representing a 2 percent increase from 2024 UNHCR. Mixed migration routes continue to operate across Southeast Asia, with Malaysia identified as a key country within intra-regional movement patterns IOM, MMC. The humanitarian response to displacement in Southeast Asia faces significant resource constraints. The Middle East crisis has diverted global attention and funding from the Myanmar situation and broader regional needs at a time of rising requirements UNHCR. Complementary pathways for refugees within South and Southeast Asia remain limited, though recent analysis suggests potential for expanding intra-regional options through qualifications and skills-based mechanisms ADSP. UNICEF reported that approximately 290 million children in East Asia and the Pacific are exposed to multiple extreme climate hazards, heightening vulnerability to climate-related disasters and emergencies across the region.