At 8am on 26 December 2004, an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale occurred in the Indian Ocean. Its epicenter was just 150 kilometers from Aceh. Less than an hour later, a tsunami reached the shores of Aceh and the North Sumatran island of Nias, its waters reaching as far inland as seven kilometers in some places.

The result was devastating: more than 200,000 people dead or missing; more than 100,000 houses destroyed; livelihoods were affected as businesses, fishing boats, fish ponds, and farmland were swept away or rendered useless by the water, mud and salt. The health and education services ground to a halt in tsunami affected areas, government departments were also weekend as staff were lost and infrastructure destroyed.

This section documents the response to the disaster, including the emergency, rehabilitation and reconstruction process.