Tsunami disaster – countries in crisis

Newsline

The tsunami, three years on
NEW YORK, USA, December 2007 – In the three years since a tsunami devastated entire regions around the Indian Ocean, UNICEF has improved the lives and health of millions of women and children affected by the December 2004 disaster.

Aceh ‘superhero’ helps tsunami-affected children keep clean and healthy
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, December 2007 – Cloaked in shrouds and face paint, and wearing helmets adorned with plastic orbs, two dark figures startle an audience of primary school students, causing young girls in the front row to cower in fear.

UNICEF helps build a child-friendly justice system in post-tsunami Aceh
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, December 2007 – With the pounding of a gavel, the judge hands down her sentence for Nuzulfadli, 17, who is on trial for stealing a motorcycle. No jail time is demanded.

New classrooms and a new safe haven for tsunami-affected children in Aceh
PANCA, Indonesia, December 2007 – Fourth-grader Sri Rahmadani, 10, takes pride in her attendance record at school. “Unless I am sick, I want to come to school,” she says.

UNICEF helps residents check water safety in post-tsunami Sri Lanka
GALLE, Sri Lanka, December 2007 – Many people living in Sri Lanka’s Southern Province had poor access to safe water even before the tsunami swept in three years ago, flooding wells and septic tanks, and spreading polluted water along the coast. And three years on, the problems continue.

Long-term plans to improve education in post-tsunami Tamil Nadu
TAMIL NADU, India, December 2007 – Education is the central focus of UNICEF’s work to rebuild the lives of children in Tamil Nadu.

Teacher Resource Centres give every Maldivian child a chance for quality education
RAA MEEDHOO, Maldives, December 2007 – Since the creation of the Teacher Resource Centre (TRC) on his island, Areesh Rasheed, 9, has found classes much more interesting than ever before.

A post-tsunami milestone: 100 new schools built or under construction in Aceh and Nias
ACEH AND NIAS, Indonesia, 7 May 2007 – The mayor of Banda Aceh, Mawardi Nurdin, recently opened SDN 96 Primary School in the community of Neusu Aceh, Baiturrahman – thereby reaching a milestone of 100 new schools either completed or under construction since the December 2004 tsunami devasted the education infrastructure in this region.

Hong Kong’s Star TV funds school reconstruction in tsunami-affected Sri Lanka
AMPARA, Sri Lanka, 27 February 2007 – Arunodaya Vidyalaya School in this town on the eastern coast of Sri Lanka was completely destroyed by the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004.

Protecting children’s legal rights in tsunami-affected Banda Aceh
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, December 2006 – When Officer Elfiyana lost both her husband and her child in the 2004 tsunami, the seemingly unbearable hardship didn’t stop her. Instead, it motivated her to do more to help others.

Overview: Tsunami two year update
NEW YORK, USA, 20 December 2006 – Two years after the Indian Ocean tsunami killed more than 200,000 people and destroyed homes, schools and communities across a vast area, UNICEF is still working to rebuild children’s lives and provide a brighter future.

A creative escape from tsunami trauma in Malaysia
LANGKAWI, Malaysia, December 2006 – Nor Soffi binti Abu Bakar is a regular participant in an art workshop for young people affected by the tsunami. The workshop was originally conceived by UNICEF and its partner organization EMPOWER as a place for youth to learn to open up and deal with the impact of the tsunami.

Project offers long-term psychosocial support for tsunami-affected Malaysian children
LANGKAWI, Malaysia, December 2006 – Nightmares of giant waves haunt Nur Alia Ismail less often than they did before. On a Sunday afternoon nearly two years after the tsunami swept through her beachside neighbourhood, she showed no fear as she played just metres from the sea.

Photo project in Thailand helps tsunami-affected children tell their stories
PHANG NGA, Thailand, December 2006 – Some of the most marginalized children in Thailand’s tsunami-afflicted Phang Nga Province are getting a chance to express themselves through ‘InSIGHT Out!’ – a UNICEF-supported photo project.

EXCEL education programme is bridge to the future for children in post-tsunami Myanmar
ASIN CHAING, Myanmar, December 2006 – Asin Chaing is a quiet coastal village in the Ayeyarwady Division of Myanmar. In the 2004 tsunami, the village and its neighbouring communities suffered widespread destruction, and to this day they are still carrying the burden left by the disaster.

Water and sanitation for tsunami-affected schools and communities in remote Myanmar
PHONE DAW, Myanmar, December 2006 – It’s a brand new school day for the children of Phone Daw, a remote fishing village. With its red roof and unspoiled yellow walls, the village school is a haven for children who endured great loss in the tsunami.

A new school means new hope in tsunami-stricken Hambantota, Sri Lanka
HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka, December 2006 – The wave of destruction that swept through Hambantota – a town known for its fishing industry on Sri Lanka’s south coast – is still visible two years later.

Rebuilding schools and communities in tsunami-affected Somalia
NEW YORK, USA, December 2006 – Two years after the Indian Ocean tsunami hit the northeastern coastline of Somalia, life is beginning to return to normal.

The Internet connects classrooms across the post-tsunami Maldives
NILANDHOO ISLAND, Maldives, December 2006 – Online education is revolutionizing learning in the Maldives as UNICEF strives to ‘build back better’ after the tsunami.

In southern India, children’s centres play vital role in tsunami recovery
SINGARATHOPPU, India, December 2006 - As parents arrive and deliver their sons and daughters, the babble of young voices builds and the simple concrete building is filled with a lively gathering of pre-school children.

Sanitation and hygiene improve in post-tsunami rural Indian communities
THAEZANGUADA, India, December 2006 – Stepping carefully between puddles left by the latest monsoon, Jeeva moves from one house to the next on an important mission: ensuring that her neighbours know how to use their new toilets.

From tanks to pipes: Safe water for tsunami-affected residents of Indonesia
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, December 2006 – Two years ago, ten-year-old Puput lost her father and all her belongings when the tsunami devastated her family’s seaside village.

Child-friendly schools set stage for quality education in post-tsunami rural Indonesia
CALANG, Indonesia, December 2006 – It’s the first day of school for children of Kampong Baro, a fishing village on the west coast of Sumatra island. Early in the morning, Mourie Yuniar, 10, gets ready and joins other children in her neighbourhood heading to their brand new school.

Two disparate tales of post-tsunami reconstruction in Sri Lanka
KIRINDA and TRINCOMALEE, Sri Lanka, December 2006 – In 2004, the fishing village of Kirinda was devastated by the tsunami. Some 78 people were killed, including the parents and older sister of 16-year-old Farouk Mohammad Riaz.

Goodwill Ambassador Roger Federer sees tsunami recovery progress in Tamil Nadu
CUDDALORE, India, 22 December 2006 – Just days before the second anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami, tennis great and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Roger Federer visited Tamil Nadu, India, witnessing firsthand the progress made to help tsunami-affected communities ‘build back better’.

Young Thai girl finds inspiration through photojournalism project
PHANG NGA, Thailand, December 2006 – Hot and dry wind blows up gritty dust as a team of UNICEF staff approaches a roadside shack in rural Thailand. The dilapidated mixture of peeling wood, grey concrete and corrugated iron has been home to 13-year-old Mod and her 10-year-old brother since their father was killed in a recent motorcycle accident.

Micro-enterprises empower tsunami-affected Malaysian women
LANGKAWI, Malaysia, December 2006 – For the men who cast their nets off the tsunami-affected coast of Langkawi, life is finally returning to normal.

Treating water sources in Maldivian islands hard-hit by the tsunami
MEEDOO, Maldives, December 2006 – Govindarajan Saravanan, a United Nations Office for Project Services engineer working on a UNICEF contract, moves from house to house on the small island of Meedoo checking for groundwater contamination.

New resources and peer education benefit communities recovering from the tsunami
TAMIL NADU, India, December 2006 – During a break in class, six-year-old Raja talks about the different lessons and activities that make up a day at his elementary school in Kannarapatti. “Tamil is my favourite lesson,” he says.

Peer treatment centre combats drug abuse in tsunami-affected Maldives communities
MALÉ, Maldives, 22 November 2006 – Hasan was handcuffed to a coconut palm on the Maldives’ main prison island when the devastating tsunami swept across the Indian Ocean.

Overview: Tsunami one year update
NEW YORK, USA, 29 November 2005 – Issuing a one-year update on its recovery efforts in countries affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami, UNICEF says 2005 has been an unprecedented year of emergencies for children, with an extraordinary series of natural disasters, food crises, and conflicts tearing at the fabric of life for tens of millions of people.

Making heroes out of children with a new emergency preparedness programme
KUALA MUDA KEDAH, Malaysia, 1 September 2006 – “I was watching TV when my neighbour came to my house to tell me to look at this long white line in the sea. When I saw the giant waves in the distance I thought to myself, how beautiful! I had never seen anything like it before..."

First permanent centre for Aceh’s children opens its doors
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, 8 March 2006 – Children across Aceh Province now have a new place to stay, learn and play. The region’s first permanent child centre has opened its doors, welcoming young survivors of the tsunami that devastated Aceh in December 2004.

Popular cartoon character helps children cope with natural disasters
NEW YORK, 12 January 2006 – Meena is an eight-year-old cartoon character. She goes to school and lives with her family in a small village. Conceived and produced by UNICEF, Meena has appeared in more than 30 episodes that deal with topics including health and hygiene, the dangers of trafficking and children’s rights.

Tsunami anniversary marks a year of emergencies for children
NEW YORK, USA, December 2005 – Issuing a one-year update on its recovery efforts in countries affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami, UNICEF says 2005 has been an unprecedented year of emergencies for children, with an extraordinary series of natural disasters, food crises, and conflicts tearing at the fabric of life for tens of millions of people.

Somalia: Local community celebrates bigger, better school after tsunami
HAFUN, Somalia, December 2005 – Like an oasis, the new primary school in Hafun is a welcome sight amid the devastation still evident almost one year after the Indian Ocean tsunami.

Indonesia: Building new and improved schools
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, December 2005 – Desks shake, pencils and markers roll to the floor. A warning bell sounds and the students of Primary School Number One in Banda Aceh race for the nearest exit. Yet there is no fear on the faces of these children. They file outside and sit in the schoolyard, as one of the students sings a call to prayer.

Sri Lanka: Focus of tsunami recovery is shifting to ‘bricks-and-mortar’ reconstruction
TRINCOMALEE, Sri Lanka, December 2005 – “Hundreds of thousands of families had to flee their homes and the areas where they lived. Schools were being used as camps to house all these displaced people. Children couldn’t get back into a lot of the essential services they needed, like schools, like hospitals. All of this was destroyed along with their homes. Documents were washed away. People were just left with nothing." says UNICEF Communication Officer in Sri Lanka Geoff Keele.

Sri Lanka: Starting over after the tsunami – one young man’s story
KINNIYA, Sri Lanka, December 2005 – “My name is Mohamed. I’m 14 and I live in Kinniya in Sri Lanka. In the morning I get up and go to the local school. My best subject is health science, and I want to study biology and become a doctor.

Indonesia: Short- and long-term tsunami recovery
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, December 2005 – “The tsunami catastrophe was one of the biggest in a century. In less than 10 minutes, over 200,000 people were killed by the waves and over half a million people became homeless. UNICEF’s immediate response was to provide immediate help to these people by trying to contain the catastrophe." says UNICEF Head of Office for Banda Aceh, Edouard Beigbeder.

Myanmar: Supplies allow cash-strapped parents to keep children in school
YANGON, Myanmar, December 2005 – Seven-year-old Chit Po Po couldn’t be happier being back in school, amongst her friends, laughing again. Happiness was in short supply last year after tsunami waves ripped through her quiet coastal village of Dee Du Gone, and other parts of Myanmar’s Ayeyarwaddy Delta.

India: Water, malaria and nutrition are key issues in Andaman and Nicobar Islands’ recovery
CAR NICOBAR ISLAND, India, December 2005 – “UNICEF came to Andaman and Nicobar right after the tsunami, extremely anxious that no disease epidemic should strike the islands. So we started a prevention measles programme along with vitamin A supplementation." says UNICEF Programme Coordinator Subash Misra.

Working to reunite families fragmented by the tsunami
JANTHO, Indonesia, December 2005 – Sitting among a group of fellow survivors of the tsunami, 10-year-old Muhammad Nurwansyah laughs at the antics of an Indonesian comic performing on the television. It’s an uneventful Sunday afternoon at this camp for the displaced in Jantho, about an hour’s drive from Banda Aceh.

Sri Lanka: After the tsunami, rising birth rate brings challenges
TRINCOMALEE, Sri Lanka, December 2005 – Aruentathy, 30, sits at the door of her temporary house, nursing her one-day-old girl, both weary after the ordeal of birth. Her sister Vickneaswary, 28 and seven months pregnant, is by her side, ready to help if needed.

Thailand: Young girl finds meaning amid devastation caused by the tsunami
PHANG-NGA, Thailand, December 2005 - “My name is Atitaya Jongkrailak. I am 11 years old and I study at Ban Bang Muang school. The day of the tsunami I went early with my father to the market. When we were coming home he got a call saying don’t come back because a giant wave has destroyed everything.

Thailand: UNICEF provides clean drinking water to schools
PHANG-NGA, Thailand, December 2005 – Like her schoolmates, 11-year-old Aye tries to ignore the scorching midday sun and joins in the many activities that are part of Ban Bang Muang school’s first ‘sports day’ in several years.

Thailand: Child care centres are a boon for both economic recovery and child development
SRIBOYA ISLAND, Thailand, December 2005 – Three-year-old Mutita was fortunate: She escaped injury in last year’s tsunami, clinging tightly to her father’s neck as they fled the surging waters. The rest of her family also survived. But the tsunami did more than just kill or injure people – it also inflicted tremendous economic damage. Now Mutita’s family is struggling with its effects.

Maldives: Day-to-day life in a temporary camp
KHULUDOFAR ISLAND, Maldives, December 2005 – My name is Ibrahim Shaqib and I’m 12. I’m living in a camp on Khuludofar island. Every morning I get up, I read the Koran and then do my homework. Then, before I go to school, I usually play a game with my friends called barballa."

Long term commitment: UNICEF Representative in Thailand Inese Zalitis discusses UNICEF’s post-tsunami strategy
BANGKOK, Thailand, December 2005 – “The impact was huge in Thailand. Six provinces were hit – and it was both infrastructure damage and houses and communities and boats. The toll and impact on human lives was very high..." said UNICEF Representative in Thailand Inese Zalitis.

Myanmar: UNICEF-supported initiatives are keeping children healthy
YAUK KA LAT, Myanmar, December 2005 – One of the first things a visitor notices when arriving in this seaside village is the happy sound of children’s voices in the salty ocean air, as they run through green fields or play in dusty lanes.

Maldives: UNICEF Representative speaks about the progress of rebuilding efforts
MALE, Maldives, December 2005 – UNICEF Representative in the Maldives Ken Maskall speaks about the challenges facing UNICEF and its partners in helping the people of the Maldives rebuild their lives after the tsunami.

Malaysia: Empowering women affected by the tsunami
KUALA MUDA KEDAH, Malaysia, December 2005 – “It’s not easy being a single mother, supporting three children on my own. When the tsunami washed everything away – my sewing machines, my savings and my home – I felt like I didn’t have the will to go on,” says Hamidah Bte Che Rus, looking with preoccupation at her young daughter. “But I thank God for sparing the lives of my three children.”

Sri Lanka: Psychosocial programmes help children heal and make friends
TRINCOMALEE, Sri Lanka, December 2005, - While their lives have taken many similar turns, it took a natural disaster for Rosinda, 11, and Ashar, 14, to become friends.

Maldives: Preschools ‘built back better’ than before tsunami
LHAVIYANI ATOLL, Maldives, December 2005 - A ripple of excitement spread quickly through the little throng of 4- and 5-year-olds milling around the sandy school yard in the heat of the late morning. Their preschool teacher had picked up the hose pipe – and they knew what was coming. With a collective shriek, the water began to sprinkle down on them.

India: Water and sanitation are keys to recovery on Andaman and Nicobar Islands
CAR NICOBAR, India, December 2005 – Car Nicobar, in India’s remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands, was devastated by the tsunami; 12 months later half of the island is still submerged. Water and sanitation has been a key part of the recovery effort.

Maldives: Survey helps combat malnutrition
KUDAHUVADHOO ISLAND, Maldives, December 2005 – Shafts of sunlight pierced the acrid wood smoke from the open fires. Inside the communal kitchen lunch was nearly ready. Today, as most other days, it was the ubiquitous fish and rice.

Keeping children healthy in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 1 year after the tsunami
CAR NICOBAR, India, December 2005 – One year after the tsunami struck the Andaman and Nicobar Islands off the coast of India, killing about 3,500 people – one third of them children – 46,000 people here are still living in temporary shelters. Nutritional supplementation and disease prevention measures have helped keep children healthy; work is proceeding to restore essential services.

Helping Malaysia’s children suffering from post-tsunami trauma
LANGKAWI, Malaysia, December 2005 – It’s hard to fathom that the beach where 9-year-old Nur Alia now plays hopscotch with her village friends was completely devastated by the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Tsunami recovery in Malaysia: Strengthening communities
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, December 2005 – “The impact of the tsunami in Malaysia was not as great as was felt in the rest of the region. Sumatra protected Malaysia from the worst of its impact and its effect. However it was the worst-ever natural disaster for Malaysia." says Gaye Phillips.