REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Canada will join with representatives  from other countries to commemorate the 10 years of of the 2004 tsunami that will take place in Banda Aceh on 26 December. Hélène Viau, Chargée d’Affaires, will represent Canada at this event. 

“It has been 10 years since a massive tsunami levelled entire coastal communities in Indonesia and other countries around the Indian Ocean on 26 December 2004,” said Canadian Ambassador Donald Bobiash in a written statement sent to Republika.

"As we mark the somber anniversary of the event, our thoughts and prayers remain with the friends and families of the 228,000 people who perished in one of the worst natural disasters the world has ever seen.”

“I am proud that Canada was able to contribute and to play a significant role in the global effort following the tsunami,” Bobiash added. “As we look back in the past ten years, I would like to praise the resilience of the Indonesian people, especially the people of Aceh and Nias. I would also like to recognize the numerous accomplishments of the Indonesian government as well as of the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra in rebuilding the affected regions and in developing means to better respond to such disasters in the future.”

Following the tsunami, the Canadian government pledged 425 million USD in assistance to the affected countries. Out of this amount, the Canadian government committed over 53 million USD for substantial relief efforts immediately following the tsunami and 158 million USD for five year reconstruction programs in Aceh and Nias, which included the construction of 6,886 permanent houses.  

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