WASHINGTON, Wednesday, December 17, 2008 — Four years after the devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami displaced millions of people, the American Red Cross is relocating families who lost their homes to a newly built community in the Maldives.

In the aftermath of the tsunami, 3,600 people were left homeless on the island of Kandolhudhoo and sent to temporary camps on five neighboring islands. Instead of rebuilding the infrastructure on their former island, the government of Maldives determined the nearby-uninhabited island of Dhuvaafaru would be a safer alternative for the population because it is more protected from future tsunamis. The government turned to the American Red Cross and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to make the relocation possible.

“Dhuvaafaru is one example of our long-term commitment to ensure communities rebuild in a sustainable way and are prepared for future disasters,” says Gerald Anderson, Senior Director of the American Red Cross Tsunami Recovery Program. “With our support, local residents are now able to resume their daily lives and start planning for the future.”

With American Red Cross financial support, construction teams built 600 houses, a preschool, a primary and secondary school, an auditorium, an administration building, roads, an electrical grid, a sewer and waste system and a rainwater collection system. Parts of the island were also raised to provide safe areas for families during future disasters.

In early December, the former residents of Kandolhudhoo completed a housing lottery and are relocating to Dhuvaafaru later this month.

“The first school year on Dhuvaafaru begins in February,” says Dan Curtiss, Head of Office for the American Red Cross in the Maldives. “Thanks to this project, generations of children can now grow up in a safer, more prepared community.”

The American Red Cross recovery work spans much broader than helping rebuild communities in the Maldives. From providing women with microfinance loans to start new businesses in Indonesia, to teaching children proper hygiene techniques in Sri Lanka, and supplying villages with clean water and proper sanitation in Thailand, communities affected by the 2004 tsunami are well on their way to a full recovery and the American Red Cross is more committed than ever to see it happen.

You can help the victims of countless crises around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need. Donations to the International Response Fund can be sent to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013 or made by phone at 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish) or online at www.redcross.org.