Building new homes for tsunami survivors
| The British Red Cross built thousands of homes for survivors of the Boxing Day tsunami in Indonesia and the Maldives.
Our tsunami recovery programme in Indonesia finished mid 2008 with the completion of 2,200 earthquake-resistant houses. | | |  | |
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People were offered a choice of three house types; a traditional timber frame, a concrete frame with concrete block walls and a composite concrete block and timber frame. In areas prone to seasonal flooding the housing designs were modified to include concrete stilts to raise the house above flood water levels. Most people chose the concrete block house.
In the Maldives recovery programme, which finished in May 2009, we built 216 houses across four islands. On a fifth island, Vilufushi, which was completely flattened by the tsunami, we built a further 250 homes, complete with power and sewerage system, as well as a secondary school.
We took a holistic approach to rebuilding homes, including preparing for future disasters through activities like planning emergency evacuation routes and providing training in the principles of safe construction, and helping survivors get land titles.
Read some stories from people who received a new home:
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 | | | When the giant waves hit Pulo Breuh island off the northern tip of Aceh province, Zainal was working on a boat near the beach, and survived by swimming in the water for half an hour.
Read Zainal's story | |
 | | | When the Boxing Day tsunami swept away her family’s house on the island of Pulo Breuh, Mulinda was seven months pregnant.
Read Mulinda's story | |
 | | | Ahumad Ali (49) and his family are among 44 families that have moved into their new homes in Fonadhoo, the Maldives. He said: “If there is another tsunami I am sure there will not be any damage to the structure.”
Read Ahumad’s story | |
 | | | Ida Sabri, who moved into one of the houses in Indonesia with her husband Abdullah and son Fadri (11) in June 2007, said: "This is like a medicine for us."
Read Ida's story | |
 | | | We have trained volunteers in the Maldives in domestic skills for their new homes, such as rewiring electric power points and fixing hinges.
Household technology training | |
 | | | We have completed two community rainwater projects in the Maldives, which have developed water storage capacity to meet daily needs.
Rainwater harvesting | |
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