Thousands of homes have been rebuilt, tens of thousands now have access to clean water, and millions have been immunized against life-threatening diseases, four years after the Indian Ocean Tsunami. Survivors from Southeast Asia to East Africa have resumed their daily lives and are looking towards a hopeful future. The American Red Cross continues to help communities improve health, provide protection against disease, ignite local business, rebuild homes, and prepare survivors for potential disasters.

The stories below illustrate the obstacles, triumphs, and hopes of several tsunami survivors, all of whom have been helped by the American Red Cross Tsunami Recovery Program. Click on the photographs to read more about how they are living four years after the tsunami changed their lives.

 

Ismet Nur (right) and his father smiling outside their new home in Indonesia.	The tsunami left M. Gnanamaa homeless, and her husband disabled.	Pien Keawwichai is grateful for her community’s new water system.
Cut Resmi, 40, has become a community leader	Kiritha, 12, struggles with recurring memories.	When the tsunami hit,Thushani Albert, was living with her grandparents in Sri Lanka .