Colombo: In honor of the more than 225,000 people who died in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, including 35,000 in Sri Lanka, UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka Marc-Andre Franche highlighted the tenacity of the nation’s impacted communities on the 20th anniversary of the disaster.

By establishing the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System, Franche also emphasized the advancements achieved in regional collaboration and disaster preparation.

“Today, we solemnly mark 20 years since the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, a tragedy that claimed over 225,000 lives across the region, including 35,000 in Sri Lanka, of which at least 10,000 were children,” said Franche in a statement on Thursday. This day is still remembered by all of us as a day of great grief. The tsunami in Sri Lanka destroyed livelihoods, uprooted hundreds of thousands of people, and left families mourning for loved ones. For those who survived, the wounds from that day are still very clear. Entire towns and villages were washed away. We pay tribute to the victims’ memories on this somber day and offer our sincere condolences to those who are still struggling with their loss.”

“There has been tremendous progress in reducing vulnerabilities on a local and regional level over the last 20 years,” he said. Through awareness campaigns, statewide tsunami evacuation exercises, and disaster education programs in schools, Sri Lanka has made community preparation a top priority, equipping people with the information and abilities they need to respond correctly and quickly in an emergency.

At the regional level, he said, the creation of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System has changed everything.
“The region’s ability to identify and react to tsunamis has been greatly improved by this cooperative network of 28 nations, which includes Sri Lanka. This has allowed for quick and precise notifications that save lives. The UN is still dedicated to helping Sri Lanka’s continuous efforts to increase resilience and shield people from the dangers of natural disasters, building on these advancements,” Franche said.

The biggest calamity in Indonesian history occurred on the morning of December 26, 2004. A large tsunami that wrecked 800 km of Aceh Province’s coastline regions and caused flooding up to 6 km inland was caused by a magnitude 9.1 undersea earthquake that occurred along the Indian Ocean subduction zone. It was one of the worst calamities in modern human history and the first worldwide calamity of the twenty-first century.

Over 220,000 people were killed in the disaster, and 139,000 homes, 73,869 hectares of agricultural land, 2,618 kilometers of roads, 3,415 schools, 104,500 small- and medium-sized businesses, 13,828 fishing boats, 119 bridges, 669 government buildings, 517 health facilities, 1,089 places of worship, 22 seaports, and 8 airports and airstrips were destroyed, according to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).

The expected cost of rebuilding was USD 4.9 billion, while USD 6.7 billion had been contributed by the Indonesian government and contributions from the international community.