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USAID builds back better following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

  • Filed Under:
  • local business development
  • education
  • disaster relief & prevention
  • photo
  • Asia / Pacific

Since the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, USAID has worked alongside survivors to help affected communities rebuild and create jobs.

The December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was one of the worst natural disasters in recorded history, destroying lives, homes, and livelihoods. In the disaster’s immediate aftermath, USAID provided emergency support in the form of food, shelter, water, sanitation, and medical supplies. In the years that followed, USAID has continued to work alongside survivors to help affected communities rebuild and create jobs. In Sri Lanka, USAID supported reconstruction of the Arugam Bay Bridge. The bridge provides significantly easier access for tourists to the dozens of hotels in the Arugam Bay area, breathing new life into the area’s economy. In Aceh, Indonesia, USAID, in partnership with Chevron developed and hosted three-month vocational courses for hundreds of young people from the region, like Junaidi and Syahrizal (pictured). Courses ranged from welding and masonry to bookkeeping and automobile repair. These courses gave graduates the skills they needed to rebuild their communities, and also improved their ability to find jobs with higher wages. In Kampuan village clusters in Thailand, the tsunami and flooding from heavy rains impeded access to schools. Floodwaters posed serious health and safety risks for children, from the threat of drowning to the presence of snakes, broken glass, and sewage. USAID worked with partners, including local government officials and community organizations, to build an elevated walkway so that children could get to school safely. In addition to aiding recovery and reconstruction, USAID has supported the development of a tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean region to help governments detect and prepare for tsunamis in the future.
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