Number of fatalities: 12,405
Number of people injured: 6,913
2.79 million people and an estimated 1,089 villages have been affected by the tsunami in four states (Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry) and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
An estimated 157,393 dwellings were destroyed.
An estimated 730,000 individuals had to leave their homes.
83,788 boats were damaged, 31,755 livestock were lost and 39,035 hectares of crops were damaged.
Damages and losses:
According to the Government of India, overall damages have been assessed at approximately $2.56 billion. The largest damages occurred in fisheries, housing and infrastructure. Overall losses are estimated at $410 million. The most affected areas include coastal fisheries, agriculture, and micro-enterprise.
Immediate Response
Following the onset of the tsunami disaster, UNDP provided immediate support by deploying United Nations Volunteers (UNVs) working on the on going Disaster Risk Management (DRM) programme to affected district authorities in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry to assist in emergency information management operations.
UNDP India provided support to affected neighbouring UNDP countries offices to assist in relief co-ordination and information support. UNDP programme staff and UNVs associated with the on-going DRM programmes were also deployed to Maldives and Sri Lanka Indonesia to support UN teams in these countries.
Coordination and Policy Support
To support the Government of India's efforts in recovery and rehabilitation, UNDP India, in collaboration with other UN agencies, established a joint UN Team to draw up a recovery framework in support of Government of India for the post-Tsunami Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Programme. The entire UN Country Team Recovery Rehabilitation and Reconstruction framework has been estimated to be at around US $ 40 million funded through core resources and resources mobilized from bilateral donors.
Under the UN Recovery Framework, UNDP will be supporting project implementation in the areas of capacity building for disaster risk management, coordination, knowledge networking and policy support; psychosocial support; restoring livelihoods; shelter and habitat development; and environmental sustainability.
In response to the State Government's request for support to drawing up micro level model recovery plans, UNDP conducted a recovery needs based assessment for Tamil Nadu in partnership with the State Government.
A team of shelter specialists from the UNDP carried out the assessment in three villages in Cuddalore, among the worst affected districts in Tamil Nadu, to prepare a model recovery plan and long-term rehabilitation strategies. This was done with community participation with special focus on resettlement/ in-situ redevelopment and housing reconstruction and livelihoods restoration.
The Central Recovery Resource Centre project in Chennai has been launched as a joint initiative between UNDP and non-governmental organizations, with participation of government, civil society and the private sector.
The Chennai Resource Centre will also be networked to district resource centres. The resource centre will comprise staffs, equipment and a working method to support and host the coordination mechanisms among all concerned stakeholders as well to provide knowledge resources to better plan recovery activities in synergy with Government.
As part of the ADB loan and Technical Assistance programme implementation, a Project Implementation Unit (PIU) will be established in Chennai and Thirvananthapuram. The PIU is joining the UN office in Chennai for close coordination, complementary monitoring/supervision of the ADB programme and UN Recovery Framework and cost effectiveness.
UNDP is also supporting the Nagapattinam district NGO Coordination and Resource Centre. The Resource Centre will provide mapping services to support coordination of stakeholders. The Centre will facilitate access to knowledge and know-how including access to documentation, assessment and research findings. The Centre will also seek feedback from communities on policies and guidelines. The database available at the Nagapattinam Centre has a hamlet-wise compilation of the damages and compensation details. It's also possible to access detailed profile of villages in the Nagapattinam district. The Centre will ensure regular and transparent interaction between Government and NGO representatives in a way that the needs of the effected are adequately and properly represented.
Nearly 400 NGOs working in the district have been registered at the Nagapattinam Centre. Over 200 volunteers have been assigned to establish a two-way system of information flow.
A grievance desk for legal aid for families of missing persons has been established.
An ICT solution to support coordination and recovery planning, monitor the delivery of government recovery packages and track stakeholders' activities to avoid overlap is under development. Deployment of pilot village IT Kiosks in Tamil Nadu is expected to take place once the donors accept the project proposal.
Five National UN Volunteers have been placed in district collector offices in Tamil Nadu to support coordination mechanisms in the affected districts of the state
Partnership in UNCT Joint Office functions
In order to coordinate the activities that support the Government for recovery and rehabilitation, the UN has established a Team for Recovery Support, which operates both in New Delhi and Chennai.
In order to further develop and implement the UN Recovery programme, a UN coordination office for Tamil Nadu and south India -involving UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, UNIDO, FAO, ILO, UNOPS, ADB, among others, is in the final stage of establishment in Chennai. This office will help facilitate information sharing, ensure synergies in interventions in different sectors and joint learning by UN Agencies involved in the reconstruction process.
For the UN Country Team Recovery Group based in Chennai, UNDP has the responsibility to recruit staff to strengthen capacities in the joint UN Chennai office in Chennai.
Psychosocial Support
WHO has developed a framework for providing psychosocial support to affected populations along with UNICEF and UNDP. Expertise will be sourced from leading mental health institutions such as NIMHANS, Bangalore; VIMHANS, New Delhi; SCARF, Chennai; Medical College, Alleppy; JIPMER, Pondicherry, and SMHA, Kerala, for training on psychosocial support. A total of 2300 Volunteers from the community as well as relief workers have been identified and provided training using the manuals developed by WHO.
WHO and UNDP provide technical support for the establishment of a psychosocial monitoring cell in the Department of Social Welfare, Government of Tamil Nadu.
Study of the tsunami's impact on the coastal environment
A study and statement on the Coastal Regulation Zone was commissioned by the UNDP Recovery Team to an environmental institute in order to support Government of Tamil Nadu in designing its housing policy and disseminate objective related information among stakeholders.
The donors has endorsed the environment programme submitted to UN Foundation in principle. It is expected to address the environmental and ecological effects of the tsunami and to build capacities of government agencies, civil society and local communities for holistic and integrated coastal area planning as well as incorporating environmental sustainability concerns in livelihood activities.
Shelter and Habitat Development
The Government of Tamil Nadu with UNDP technical support has developed guidelines and layout and design of disaster resistant houses. A workshop was co-organized with Government of Tamil Nadu to disseminate these guidelines and, the CRZ study findings commissioned by UNDP in consultation with NGOs/institutions/Govt Agencies on these topics.
Strengthening Governance for Sustainable Recovery and Risk Reduction
Under the on-going Disaster Risk Management Programme, sustainable mechanisms for community-based disaster preparedness have been introduced in six districts and two seismic zone III (moderate risk) cities of Tamil Nadu. In Samiyarpettai village in Cuddalore district that had been one of the sites of the model village training programme under the risk management initiative prior to the tsunami, more than 100 lives were saved thanks to their training in disaster preparedness and rescue operations.
In Kerala, three seismic zone III (moderate risk) cities with populations of over half a million are undertaking earthquake vulnerability reduction activities. In Kerala the natural disaster management faculty at the Institute of Land Management is being supported to conduct regular training programmes for government officials. The state has several academic and research institutions that work on coastal environmental management and development issues. This programme would be expanded to other tsunami affected districts in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.