The unprecedented Tsunami wave that struck the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh left in its wake over 16,000 people dead. This massive disaster affected more than 2.9 million people causing destruction of homes, crops, livelihood supports like boats and fishing nets. The Indian Red Cross Society has carried on many short term and long term post Tsunami recovery programmes for these affected people.

As part of an assessment team sent to see impact of Red Cross interventions, we visited 5 villages in two districts of Andhra Pradesh. We were heartened with the response to Red Cross from the people of the East Godavari and Sreekakulam districts which are two of the four districts,(Nellore and Prakasam being the other two), where Red Cross has supported the vulnerable people for the past decade following the ravaging Tsunami on 26th December, 2004.

All of these villages are located some few hundred metres from the sea shore which makes them both dependant and vulnerable to it. The livelihood of the people here is fishing, and the first target of any disturbance in the sea are their livelihood tools, like fishing nets and boats. We saw remnants of the recent Hud Hud cyclone, overturned and broken boats.

We met up with a group of fisherman, in our foray to the sea shore, bringing in the daily catch.

Said C H Suranaryan, the oldest of the lot,” Early warning now comes with drums and microphones. We are now made aware, well in advance by the Village Disaster Management Committee members of the Red Cross, unlike during Tsunami which took us by shock and surprise. Then, we had absolutely no idea about where to run or what to do.”

When Tsunami struck, 10 years ago, the Indian Red Cross Society aided the affected people with essential life support like shelter, first aid and other relief items. Over 10,000 volunteers reached out to help more than 5,00,000 people.

The Spanish, Canadian and Hong Kong Red Cross helped by providing Fishing Nets, Boats, Ice Boxes, Drying Platforms, Smoking bins, Fish curing tubs, Dry Fish storage sheds and auto rickshaws for travel.

The impact of the interventions were assessed and studied in a scientific manner and the papers that came out were published in peer review journals. The findings were again used to plan second phase of interventions which translated into the Canadian Red Cross supported IPCD and CBDRR programmes and are still being implemented in 61 villages of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.


“We are very happy to have undertaken long term livelihood recovery projects in the Tsunami affected states over the last one decade. We have also been able to publish our results in scientific peer reviewed journals. I would urge all societies in the Red Cross movement to undergo scientific rigour and try to publish the results of humanitarian activities in peer reviewed index journals. Once our results are published, the profiles of our societies will go up and we can also then approach the donors for greater funding, based on this evidence based documented results.” says Dr. S.P. Agarwal, Secretary General, IRC.

Our next stop was the Red Cross post Tsunami shelter village in Sreekuramam in Sreekakulam district. With horror still lurking in his eyes, one of the inhabitants, S Lakhshaman described the haunting day, “It was the highest wave of water I have ever seen in my life. We ran for our lives, slept in the forest for three days, before an Indian Air Force plane flew us to Chennai from Andaman And Nicobar Islands. Since I am originally from Andhra Pradesh, I was sent here.”

He still remembers the high speed winds and the sound that accompanied the Tsunami which sounded like a plane landing. Tsunami was his biggest nightmare, and after being here in the Red Cross Tsunami shelter village, he vows never to go back.

As we travelled to many more villages subsequently, the Red Cross support was everywhere to see. Confident people getting on with their everyday chores, fisherwomen drying fish in the smoking bins, usage of the fish drying platforms, trained village disaster management teams and even a girls school to boast of. We returned, indeed a contented team, happy with our Organizations’ work.