Emergency alert (50k)

On 26 December 2004, more than 250,000 people were killed after a massive underwater earthquake sent giant waves crashing into coastlines across southern Asia and as far away as Africa. 

Children were hit hard by the tsunami. Families were left homeless and lost their livelihoods. Many children lost their parents or were separated from their families. Schools were destroyed, making a return to any sense of normality more difficult for the children affected.

An unprecedented outpouring of support
The immediate generosity of the public, governments and corporations, in response to the disaster, was unprecedented. Thanks to the astonishing level of support received, UNICEF has now been able to move beyond provision of emergency assistance onto the longer-term task of rebuilding affected communities. 

UNICEF UK is very grateful to all its supporters who together gave almost £15 million towards the appeal. Due to the generosity of the response internationally, £287 million was raised globally for UNICEF’s work. UNICEF expects its work in affected countries to cost approximately £168 million in 2005 alone.

View an online presentation of UNICEF’s work in tsunami-affected countries one year on.

UNICEF’s response to the tsunami disaster
UNICEF’s immediate emergency response included sending supplies to the region such as water tankers, family health kits, tarpaulin, school-in-a-box and recreation kits, oral rehydration sachets and essential drugs. Being already present in the countries affected, UNICEF was able swiftly to provide assistance and coordinate a child-centred response.

Throughout the emergency, UNICEF worked to ensure the protection of the rights and well-being of children. We also assumed the role of coordinator in the areas of water and sanitation, child protection and education. This meant UNICEF ensured that non-governmental organisations and UN parties responding to the crisis worked together efficiently, and did not duplicate their efforts, or indeed leave gaps in their combined response. 

Some key achievements of UNICEF’s response:

• by June 2005 nearly 1,200,000 children already immunised against measles
• 850,000 children given Vitamin A supplements to boost their immune systems
• more than 83,000 families given hygiene kits
• nearly 200,000 women and children provided with almost 100,000 bed nets to protect against malaria
• hundreds of thousands given access to adequate sanitation facilities
• more than a million people per day reached with safe drinking water
• three quarters of a million given school supplies, enabling nearly all children to return to school within two months of the disaster

A full description of UNICEF's response, and the planned programme of work is available. 

• Download the UNICEF tsunami 6 month update (623 kb).

Despite early fears about widespread disease, no children died as a result of preventable diseases attributable to the tsunami crisis - a testimony to the work of all agencies and the generosity of our donors’ response.

Rebuilding communities – the work continues
UNICEF requested £168 million for its work in affected countries in 2005. An additional £119 has been received for continued assistance over the next 3–5 years. 

Assistance on the ground is still very much needed. Livelihoods must be restored and homes rebuilt. Schools and health centres need to be constructed and adequate water and sanitation facilities have to be re-established. In order for this work to occur there are complex issues to be addressed too, such as land rights, new safety regulations and property ownership. 

It is clear that full recovery will take years. UNICEF was present in these countries before the disaster struck and will continue to be present, working alongside the local communities during the period of recovery. We will also continue to play a leading role in health and nutrition, water and sanitation, education, child protection and psychosocial support.