Annotated guiding principles for post-tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction

The recent tragedy of the tsunami in the Indian Ocean has generated an unprecedented amount of relief and support from the donor community and private organizations, and extraordinary generosity from neighbouring communities adjacent to those devastated. Because of the scale of the impact and the immediate humanitarian needs, actions were initially focused on emergency needs for shelter, food, and medical care. Another priority has been to begin immediately to design and build a warning system for such disasters. The biggest and most protracted challenge will be to rebuild and rehabilitate hundreds of kilometers of devastated coastline, and re-establish livelihoods for over a million displaced people.