The tsunami smashed over the south-eastern coastline of India . It swept inland, severely affecting Tamil Nadu and parts of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands .

ActionAid and local partners have been alongside survivors from day one. From the very beginning a crucial focus has been working with the huge number of people marginalised, either due to extreme poverty, disability, or reasons of caste, gender and class to ensure that they receive support they need to rebuild their lives.

“The challenge remains for those left out of government rehabilitation efforts – fisherwomen, landless labourers, children from tribal groups and people with disabilities – to hold local authorities to account”, says ActionAid’s Amar Jyoti Nayak.

The voice of those overlooked by civil authorities needs to be strengthened. This is a fight that has continued far beyond the initial tsunami response.

In the third year of response, some of the hottest topics for communities we work with are housing and land, children’s education and women's livelihoods. Our staff are working directly with tsunami survivors and community groups who are living these issues.

Along with injustice and new policy threats, there are also a multitude of heart-warming stories of people rebuilding their lives, sometimes better than before.