Remembering the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami - Main contents

Our thoughts are with the victims and their families today

I imagine, like me, that you remember the horrific tsunami of 26th December 2004 very clearly. I find it hard to believe that ten years have already passed since that day. It remains the worst natural disaster ever, and as people all over the world come together to pay tribute to the victims that day, I would also like to add my voice and underline the EU’s ongoing support to helping the region to move on from those dreadful events.

I wanted to also take a moment to look at what has been done in the region since then, to help people get back on their feet after their countries were so badly damaged. At the time, the European Commission (through its humanitarian aid department, ECHO,) was the first major donor to respond to the tsunami disaster. On the day the waves struck, €3 million were allocated for initial life saving measures, very quickly followed by two other emergency packages of €10 million each, for comprehensive assistance including temporary shelters, blankets, emergency food, water supplies and medical assistance. In total, the EC has committed all of the €123 million pledged for humanitarian aid for the tsunami victims across the region (Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, The Maldives and to a limited extent in Thailand).

Aceh, the most northern province of Indonesia, was hit worst of all. Ten years ago, more than 200,000 people lost their lives there. It’s hard to believe that anything positive could come out of such a tragedy, but levels of support following the tsunami were also unprecedented, and I recently came across a project which has achieved great results there.

A multi-donor fund (MDF) for Aceh and Nias was quickly set up in response to the disaster in 2004 - a vehicle that in practice allowed donors like the EU, as well as the World Bank, to pool their resources with the national government to support reconstruction in a truly common joint effort. The EU was the biggest contributor to the Fund with €203 million (over 40% of the whole fund).

And I’m pleased to say that results were indeed delivered. In Aceh and Nias, nearly 20,000 homes were built as a result of the fund. 670 schools were reconstructed or rehabilitated. MDF-funded projects allowed for the reconstruction of five critical ports, over 650 km of national roads, nearly 1,600 km of irrigation and drainage channels and some 8,000 wells across the Aceh Province and Nias island.

Anywhere else in the world a natural disaster such as the tsunami would worsen a civil conflict - in Indonesia, it actually brought people together in a common desire to ensure peace would grow out of tragedy. In fact, 30 years of civil unrest in Aceh was concluded in the period following the 2004 tsunami.

The EU remains a committed friend of Aceh and continues to support the province in areas of common interest and concern, such as the environment and climate change.

I find it positive to see how something good can come out of such a terrible tragedy. On this day, let’s remember those who lost their lives so tragically, and underline our ongoing commitment to working together to help the area to continue to move forward and make such positive progress.