Palangkaraya is on the front line of an environmental crisis that has cloaked much of the region in a toxic haze

Sarah Newey

Global Health Security Correspondent,

in Bangkok

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Sarah is based in Bangkok, having reported from more than 20 countries since first joining the desk in London. She covers issues such as infectious disease, insecurity and development policy, with a focus on Asia-Pacific

Published 26 October 2026 3:51pm GMT

For two months now, Natanael Undas has opened his curtains not to blue skies, but a sickening sepia haze that blocks out any sunlight. As the relentless fires smoulder nearby, his city looks “more like Mars” than Indonesian Borneo.

“We start our day in yellow, and we end our day in yellow,” the 32-year-old headteacher told the Telegraph. “When you inhale and take a breath, it feels like you’re choking.…