Indonesia

On 26th December 2004, the biggest earthquake (9.0 on the Richter Scale) for 40 years struck off the Indian Ocean floor west of Indonesia.

Three women at the Indonesian Red Cross camp for displaced people at Sukarip, near Pangandaran. More than 50,000 people are said to be displaced as a result of the tsunami.

Three women at the Indonesian Red Cross camp for displaced people at Sukarip, near Pangandaran. More than 50,000 people are said to be displaced as a result of the tsunami.

This triggered tidal waves or tsunamis, up to 30 feet high, which travelled at speeds of up to 500 miles per hour, crashing into coastal areas of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Myanmar, Maldives, Malaysia, Bangladesh and the Seychelles.

Indonesia was by far the hardest hit of the dozen countries that were affected by the tsunami, with 128,645 persons killed, over 500,000 displaced and 37,063 still missing

It is estimated that in terms of loss of life and dislocation, Indonesia suffered 70% of the damage of the total impact suffered by the 7 worst-affected countries.

The main brunt of the tsunami was borne by the city of Banda Aceh and its surrounding rural and island communities, on the most north-western tip of the Indonesian archipelago. Three months after the major tsunami, a second major earthquake (8.7 Richter) struck close to the site of the first earthquake, causing additional loss of lives and further expanding the needs of the affected communities.