Archive:Effect of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on Somalia

Villages and coastal communities in Somalia, as far as 4,500km (2,800 miles) from the epicenter of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake were swept away and destroyed by the resulting tsunami on December 26, 2004. Presidential spokesperson Yusuf Mohamed Ismail of the transitional government said that at least 200 people are dead and more than 50,000 have been displaced. Most of damage is in semiautonomous Puntland region, especially the northeastern island of Hafun, 1150km (715 miles) northeast of Mogadishu. In Puntland, rising waters engulfed the town mosque of Brava and the villages of Beyla, Garacad, Muduy and Nugaal were reportedly destroyed. Much of the 1,000km (621 mile) coast is controlled by various clan-based militias, making obtaining accurate information difficult. First aid supplies from the United Nations and around 12 tons of rice, maize and vegetable oil were delivered to the town on December 30, four days after the earthquake.