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IN PHOTOS: Rebuilding a city swept away by a tsunami

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IN PHOTOS: Rebuilding a city swept away by a tsunami

EPA

Ten years on, we look back at the beginnings of the massive rehabilitation and reconstruction process undertaken after the tsunami devastated Aceh

JAKARTA, Indonesia — In February 2005, a little over a month after the devastating tsunami left many parts of Aceh unrecognizable, the government declared the emergency relief situation over. 

The massive rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts, unlike any the government had done before, were set to begin. So many had to be built and rebuilt: shelters for refugees, schools, public facilities, and house of worships, among others. 

But beyond rebuilding roads and buildings, aid agencies said the biggest challenge was to help the survivors become self-sufficient again.

An estimated 400,000 people lost not only their loved ones and homes but also their jobs, with many escaping with nothing more than the clothes on their back.  

All photos by AFP and EPA.

Structures that survived, like this mosque mosque at Peukan Bada on the outskirts of Banda Aceh, were cleaned.
The same goes for school buildings. In this image, a student cleans the blackboard inside his classroom after school reopened in Banda Aceh on January 13, 2005, just two weeks after the tsunami struck.
But for schools that suffered damage, volunteers helped fix chairs and tables.
 
Where buildings were completely destroyed, new ones were constructed.
Meanwhile, those who suffered debilitating injuries began recovering. In this image, a child tries out his new artificial leg.
But not all injuries were physical. Here, Elvo the Clown, alias Aaron Ward from New Zealand, performs in front of Acehnese children, many of who suffered from trauma.
 
World leaders, like former US president Bill Clinton, also checked in to see how the rehabilitation efforts were going.
This combo photo shows how much changed between January 1, 2005 (L) and December 2005 (R) in this area of Banda Aceh.

—Rappler.com

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