2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami

     On Sunday December 26, 2004, an undersea megathrust earthquake occurred off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.  It was caused by subduction and triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean, killing over 230,000 people in fourteen countries and inundating coastal communites with waves up to 30 meters (98ft) high, one of the deadliest natural disasters recorded in history.
     In the months following the tsunami, the public was made very aware of the plight of these
children affected by the this disaster and made the public aware of the risks these children faced which triggered a tremendous outpouring of generosity from governments around the world. (Nwe 2005)  Because the generosity , the governments, UNICEF and other organizations were able to accelerate measures to save children's lives, return them to normalcy quicker, and better protect them from abuse. (Nwe 2005)
     Nearly a year after over a million children have been vaccinated against measles, families and communities are being provided with clean water and children are now back in school. Other preventative measures for children's health, such as anti-malaria net beds have already been put in place and are working.  Children who have been separated from their families are now registered  and there  are ongoing efforts to place them with families in their communities.  Out of 979 children who lost their parents, all but 12 are now living with extended family members.  The 12 are children for whom the search for extended family has been unsuccessful.  In the months following the tsunami, Sri Lanka put in place an order that allowed foster familes to receive 500 rupees (about 5 dollars) a month per child.
     To help children recover from the trauma of losing their family and friends, UNICEF and its NGO partners support play therapy and recreational activities as well as direct counceling.  One example is the camp at Habaraduwa Junction in Galle, Sri Lanka, where children age 6-12 years look forward each week to visits of UNICEF community support workers who supervise play activities, sports and games, and keep an eye out for children who may not be coping or recovering as quickly as others.
      In the year of 2005, children affected by the disaster now have classes in renovated buildings instead of tents or shelters, construction of new permanent schools has begun and all students have enough books  and school supplies including learning materials, books, uniforms, school bags and school furniture for each child.  Because the tsunami hit so many poor communities, some of the children had never been able to go to school, even before the tsunami.  To prevent this from reoccurring, district education officials, UNICEF and NGO partners began a post-tsunami campaign-to identify children not in school and enroll them in catch-up or bridging programs with a view of channeling them into the formal school system.  In Thailand, the government is providing education grants to all orphaned children, which will cover the period until the child graduates from higher education. (Nwe 2005)

References:
Nwe, Y.Y. (2005), Children and the Tsunami, A Year On
Retrieved from  http://www.unicef.org/emerg/disasterinasia/files/WhatWorked.pdf

Bharathi Trust Proposal for Educational Motivation Centers in Tsunami-affected villages (downloadable pdf file)

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
Retrieved from  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_and _tsunami

NOAA Tsunami Website :  www.tsunami.noaa.gov/

Japan Earthquake: Helicopter aerial view, video of giant tsunami :  www.youtube.com/watch?V3AdFjklR50