Tsunami in the Indian Ocean: Recovery still a long way off for survivors

Background and ongoing impacts

Well over three years have passed since the tsunami swept across the Indian Ocean in December 2004, killing more than 200,000 people in over 12 countries, and wiping out countless homes and communities. The world responded with an outpouring of aid when news programs broadcast the appalling physical and material damage caused by this unprecedented global disaster. Yet it was not the millions of dollars in aid that determined how relief and recovery were carried out — it was the underlying social, political, and economic contexts in each affected country.

After years of global response and huge investments of funds and resources, the recovery is far from achieved. Many displaced families are still living in difficult conditions and struggling to bring their lives to normalcy and leave the marks of tragedy behind.

UUSC, with generous aid donations from members and supporters, has worked to analyze each tsunami-affected country's situation in order to reach out to those who are marginalized from getting their fair share of relief and assistance in reconstruction.

In both Indonesia and Sri Lanka, tsunami recovery was affected by the long history of civil war, oppression of civil society, armed violence, and militarization. In Thailand, the unjust treatment of undocumented Burmese migrants created the most striking inequalities. In India, Dalits (formerly untouchables) were the worst hit not only because of the direct effect of the tsunami but also because of their long history of being socially excluded.

UUSC forges strong partnership with organizations on the ground to jointly analyze the situation, identify marginalized groups, and determine strategies to reach them. UUSC and UUA jointly raised over $2 million for tsunami relief and rehabilitation in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and India.

UUSC's approach and ongoing work

Reaching the hard-to-reach
UUSC's Rights in Humanitarian Crisis Program focuses on the close cause-and-effect relationship between predisaster socio-political inequalities and the unequal distribution of relief and recovery resources. UUSC shaped its tsunami response through strong partnerships with grassroots organizations, continuous dialogue on issues and strategies, and a careful consideration of communities' perceptions.

Aceh, Indonesia
The region of Aceh, at the epicenter of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami, was wracked by a separatist conflict when the tsunami hit. UUSC initially worked with partners on the ground to provide relief and recovery to tsunami-affected communities that were excluded from receiving aid because of the conflict. We expanded our focus to help community organizations strengthen their support for women in areas affected by both the conflict and the tsunami. Our goal was to help women overcome their obstacles to recovery, which include loss of assets, increasing numbers of girls compelled to marry, greater incidence of rape, and additional burdens on widows.

UUSC partner Bungoeng Jeumpa, led by young women, worked with tsunami widows to help them claim inheritance and land rights as a basis for recovery and rebuilding. With other local partners, we have supported legal aid for women's leadership and skills training, awareness building, and micro-finance. All are essential tools for women to begin their recovery from conflict and natural disaster.

Sri Lanka
The ongoing civil war in the east and north of Sri Lanka exacerbated the impact of the tsunami and complicated the distribution of relief aid. UUSC focused on the conflict areas of the east coast and worked with its partner to support groups that had been overlooked by the initial relief efforts, principally Muslim widows and farming communities whose land was soaked with salt.

Before relief work had transitioned into reconstruction on the east coast, tsunami survivors there were affected by the escalating armed conflict. Since 2006, 3,000 people on the Sri Lankan east coast have been killed and 310,000 displaced, many of whom originally had been displaced by the tsunami. UUSC now works with local NGOs and community organizations supporting women in overcoming obstacles to recovery.

Thailand
Over 100,000 undocumented Burmese migrants working in the rubber, construction, and tourism industries on Thailand's western coast were disadvantaged after the tsunami. Those who survived the tsunami were deliberately excluded from all official assistance, denied shelter in camps, and left on their own to survive. Lack of documents put them in continual peril of deportation. UUSC worked with a local partner to help migrants learn about their rights, provide child care, and get documentation and legal aid.

India
With a special focus on Dalits and other marginalized groups such as farmers affected by the tsunami, UUSC worked with Holdeen India Trust to support Holdeen's long-standing partner organizations. These groups provided immediate relief, livelihood restoration, skills training for alternative livelihoods, cash for work to help survivors rebuild, and innovative community insurance programs.

Moving ahead

The magnitude and scale of the Indian Ocean tsunami led to an unprecedented response from people all over the world. While the resulting humanitarian crisis generated partnerships at many levels, it also generated much learning for global humanitarian actors, including UUSC. Our experience with post-tsunami work has reinforced the importance of focusing on human rights in times of crises. UUSC will continue to work towards protecting the rights of the most marginalized groups in crisis situations. Our goal is to enable all survivors to rebuild their homes and lives with dignity.

Please consider supporting UUSC's vital work in the region by making a donation today.

Donate to the Tsunami relief fund online or mail donations to:

UUSC-UUA Tsunami Relief Fund
P.O. Box 845259
Boston, MA 02284-5259