Boxing Day Tsunami (December 2004)

In the early hours of 26th Decemebr 2004, a massive earthquake shook the coast of Indonesia. The worst quake for 40 years, it triggered a gigantic tidal wave which slammed into coasts along the Indian Ocean leaving over 220,000 dead or missing in Indonesia alone. The disaster caused devastation in countries as far apart as Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and Somalia, killing hundreds of thousands of people and leaving millions homeless.

As well as providing emergency aid following the disaster SCIAF is providing long-term support to many of the affected communities.

Vital resources provided

Incredible support from the Scottish people led to more than £2.3 million being donated to SCIAF’s Tsunami appeal. The money is being used to help in a variety of ways. Click on the links below to find out more.

Indonesia Towns and villages on the Indonesian island of Sumatra were almost completely destroyed.		Sri Lanka Coastal communities were badly affected and huge numbers of people are still living in temporary shelters.		India In Southern India, hundreds of people were killed and entire villages destroyed when the wave hit.
Survivors' Stories Survivors of the Tsunami tell their stories and explain how they have slowly begun to rebuild their lives.		2nd Anniversary Two years on, one Indian community is preparing to move from their island home to the mainland.		Archive Find out more about SCIAF's response to the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004.