Indian Ocean Tsunami (2004)

Impacted Nations

At least 14 countries around the Indian Ocean were directly affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami (from highest to least number of causalities): Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Somalia, Maldives, Malaysia, Myanmar, Tanzania, Seychelles, Bangladesh, Yemen, South Africa, and Kenya. The estimated economic and infrastructural losses were $9.9 billion across the impacted region. However, in terms of loss of life, people missing, and infrastructure destruction, four South Asian nations (Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand) were the hardest hit. As the country located [Page 342]closest to the epicenter of the earthquake, Indonesia suffered more fatalities (more than 129,000) and had more displaced (over 566,000) and missing (94,000) than any other impacted country in South Asia. In fact, over half of the deaths and destruction occurred in Indonesia.

Social, cultural, and economic impacts in Indonesia included the necessary relocation of entire fishing communities and economic devastation, with a loss of 40 percent of private sector housing and unemployment of over 30 percent in the disaster area, a rate comparable to that of the Great Depression in the United States. To compound this catastrophic event, Indonesia suffered another earthquake on March 28, 2005, in Nias, resulting in nearly 900 deaths and additional structural damage. Sri Lanka suffered the second highest population loss (more than 38,000), an immense amount of damage to infrastructure, and almost 1 million people displaced. In addition, reconstruction efforts are estimated to cost nearly $2 billion over three to five years. India suffered the third highest population loss (over 16,296) and an immense amount of damage (an estimated $1.2 million), much of it in remote areas, threatening its ability to recover internally in coastal provinces. Thailand was the most popular tourist destination in South Asia in 2001, with more than 10 million visitors annually. However, its economic stability was threatened due to the devastation and damage caused by the Indian Ocean tsunami. Thailand was the fourth most heavily affected nation in terms of mortality (4,600) and the second most economically affected. Thailand had the highest number of foreign tourist casualties, with more than 3,330, generating substantial media attention of dead or trapped international tourists.

...