Tsunami 

Suddenly this huge wave came, rushing down the beach, destroying everything in its wake. People who were snorkeling were dragged along the coral and washed up on the beach, and people that were sunbathing got washed into the sea. 

A 9.3 magnitude earthquake occurred on the seafloor near Aceh in northern Indonesia . This earthquake resulted in a huge Tsunami wave. According to news reports, the Indian Ocean Tsunami triggered waves as high as 50 feet (15 meters) in some places. In many places witnesses described a rapid surging of the ocean, more like an extremely powerful river or a flood. The giant waves hit the coasts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and even Somalia. Within hours, killer waves radiating from the epicentre slammed into the coastline of 11 Indian Ocean countries, snatching people out to sea, drowning others in their homes or on beaches and demolishing property from Africa to Thailand.

The toll in the Tsunami that struck Tamil Naidu on December 26 was officially put at 7,814, with Nagapattinam reporting 5,925 of those deaths. A total of 3,324 people were injured according to figures provided by the official website of the disaster management and mitigation department. Nagapattinam district reported 1,922 injured, while Kanniyakumari district reported 817 deaths and 329 injured. Cuddalore district had 603 deaths and 214 injured. In addition to losing their livelihoods, the vast majority of families are still living in temporary shelters or camps.

During disasters older people are among those worst affected. The vulnerability of older persons to disasters has been exposed in the wake of the Tsunami tragedy. Nearly 30% were dead and 9,00,000 elders were missing. Most of the older people were adversely affected by Tsunami in one way or the other. Some were injured, some lost their care giver and some lost their children and had to take the responsibility of their grand children. In some cases older persons were handicapped. Their physical and mental health was affected by Tsunami. They were ambiguous about their future.

HelpAge provided relief to the forgotten section of Tsunami Victims - "The Aged".

The series of tidal Tsunami waves killed nearly 30% of the older people and left many homeless. HelpAge, as an initial step, carried out a detailed survey and identified the families based on their bare needs. In an emergency situation, older people are frequently overlooked with regard to the lack of provision of basic needs due to their inability (social, political and physical) and marginalization.

Immediate Concerns 
+ To check neglect of older people during relief operations 
+ To restore, create and sustain appropriate livelihoods which will enable at least 10,000 older people to achieve economic independence and long term security. 
+ To rebuild house for elderly who had no documentation to prove their previous ownership 
+ To restore the dignity of elderly and seek their participation in the local operations

Objectives 
+ Older people in communities affected by Tsunami are treated with dignity and respect 
+ Older persons are guaranteed security in old age through the provision of adequate social protection (health care, education, pension) 
+ A minimum income and sustainable livelihood options for older persons is generated 
+ Work towards enabling at least 6,000 older people to organize themselves in order to achieve their rights and independence within their communities 
+ Strengthen four partner organizations to work with older people so that they are active within their communities

Rehabilitation programmes

Relief Aid Distribution: 
This was carried out in three phases. HelpAge distributed relief packages to 14,938 people in Tamil Naidu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. The first phase of distribution was carried out for 3,500 families in Tamil Naidu & Kerala through the NGO partners. Based on the feedback from the Ist phase, some changes were introduced in the IInd phase of distribution. Based on the experience and learning of Ist and IInd phase, the IIIrd phase of distribution was well planned and executed. The IIIrd phase was highly successful. The cost of the distribution package was Rs. 1,000/- which included rice & dry provisions. The project officers of HelpAge India and partner agencies visited the villages and felt the need of additional food supplies for the families who had already received packages. Hence, 4,000 families were supported with additional package of Rs. 1,000/- each. During this process they also identified some of the families who had not been the beneficiaries so far. Based on the report, another 1,400 families were identified & given the relief package of Rs. 2,400/- each.

Mobile Medicare Units: 
On the 27th December, HelpAge India's 2 Mobile Medicare Units (MMU) of Chennai, 1 MMU of Coimbatore and 1 MMU of Bangalore rushed to the coastal areas of Chennai, Cuddalore, and Nagapattinam. In an informal survey of those people who were coming to the MMUs for healthcare, it was very clear that the older people's health needs were being overlooked. Thus, there was an immediate need to develop health care services in the project communities to address the needs of the older people. Due to their reduced mobility some of the older people had problem in accessing established healthcare infrastructure. The MMU remedied this problem in the short term by delivering health care at the beneficiaries' doorsteps.

Psychological counseling: 
Tsunami had not only devastated thousands of people and properties worth billions of dollars, it had also left unforgettable traumatized experience in the minds of the people who survived this catastrophe. Those people, who saw the wrath of the sea engulfing their dear ones cannot forget it for the rest of their lives. HelpAge has coordinated with SCARF Chennai and counselled 253 elders.

Adopt-A-Gran Pogramme: 
More than 1000 poor and most vulnerable older people who were destitute without any source of income and not included in the government pension scheme were given a package worth Rs. 500 every month (Dry rations and Provisions for Rs.350, savings in the bank for Rs.100 and Rs.50 as cash for their miscellaneous expenses).

Achievements 
+ 142 boats were distributed to fishermen each earning Rs.50,000 per annum 
+ Regular source of income for fishermen through boats and nets 
+ Employment opportunities in the area of processing and exporting 
+ Desalination of agricultural land
+ Formation of SHGs (Self Help Groups)