Tsunami Update

A Sri Lankan family outside their new Habitat home

On Boxing Day 2004 South-East Asia was struck by the most devastating natural disaster in living memory. The Indian Ocean tsunami swept all before it, leaving in its wake death, destruction and suffering along the coasts of Thailand, India, Sri Lanka and India. Because the tsunami struck what were already some of the poorest areas of the world, the exact numbers in loss of life, homes and livelihoods will never be known but an estimated figure of 217,000 dead tells its own story.

An unprecedented outpouring of compassion and generosity from individuals across the globe followed. But what impact have gifts and voluntary labour from Habitat for Humanity supporters had on the communities in which we have concentrated our reconstruction efforts for the past three years?

Within three weeks of the tsunami striking the South-East coastline of Sri Lanka, volunteers from Habitat for Humanity were already working on the clean-up operation in some of the worst affected areas. In the following months and years, thousands more volunteers have contributed their money and labour, working alongside home-partner families in all tsunami affected areas of the country with the aim of building 2,245 safe, decent homes to replace those lost.

New Habitat for Humanity houses in Banda Aceh

The Northern coast of Indonesia bore the brunt of the tsunami in terms of both casualties and loss of property. The death toll of an estimated 160,000 people across Indonesia counted towards over half of all lives lost.

The demand for building materials across the entire South-East Asia region has caused prices to rocket since the catastrophe. As a consequence, Habitat for Humanity has adjusted its working methods in order to ensure more low-income families are served.

The introduction of Habitat for Humanity Resource Centres across India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand has meant that people from communities where Habitat doesn't have a building programme can access building materials and training. In short, our resource centres give Habitat for Humanity the ability to reach out to more people in need of a home without actually having to oversee the construction.

The scale of Habitat for Humanity reconstruction across South-East Asia has been nothing short of immense. The challenge presented by the devastation left by the tsunami has been the greatest faced by Habitat for Humanity and those that support our work.

A volunteer building in Thailand

We have used all of our knowledge, experience and ingenuity in talking to affected communities and working with them on appropriate and sustainable repair and reconstruction solutions.

So, as we pass the third anniversary of the tragedy, we take stock of what we have achieved in bringing respite to the people of South-East Asia: over eight thousand homes repaired or constructed and many more planned for the years to come and the establishing of resource centres in all four countries giving access to training and materials to thousands of people.

But if we are to take positives out of the events of 26th December 2004 it is that sub-standard housing in the region has been highlighted and exposed for the dangerous, demeaning scourge that it is. Habitat's reconstruction and repair work in tsunami-affected areas has already replaced swathes of sub-standard housing and our challenge over the coming years is to maintain the momentum and reach out to those living in squalor all over South-East Asia.

The recovery programme is in full swing in each of the regions affected by the tsunami …

India
Indonesia
Sri Lanka
Thailand

Habitat for Humanity will continue to partner other non-government organisations or micro-finance institutions in multi-faceted development programmes – programmes that go beyond house construction to provide skills and livelihood development and address water and sanitation needs.

Habitat for Humanity resource centres are the delivery point for services.

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