Children and the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: Evaluation of UNICEF's Response in Sri Lanka (2005-2008)

The international response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Sri Lanka – one of the hardest hit countries -- was among the most ambitious responses to a natural disaster. UNICEF‘s emergency response has been well documented but there has been no systematic evaluation of the recovery and early development phases. Focusing mainly on child protection; basic education; child and maternal health and nutrition; and water, sanitation and hygiene -- sectors where UNICEF had extensive involvement -- the present evaluation asks the following questions: In the spirit of building back better, what evidence is there indicating that the response (2005-2008) has resulted in better institutional capacities, systems, services and contributed to the wellbeing and rights of children compared to the pre-tsunami situation? What role has been played by UNICEF‘s programmes in achieving these results? What conclusions can be drawn regarding UNICEF‘s programme performance? In addition, the evaluation draws lessons and recommendations for each sector and provides general lessons for recovery/transition programming.