Maldives holds ‘Resilient 20’ exhibition to commemorate 2004 tsunami

An exhibition opened at the National Art Gallery in Male’ on Thursday, in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the 2004 tsunami.

The exhibition, organized by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), was inaugurated by Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef.

A massive undersea earthquake off the western coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, unleashed a series of colossal tsunamis on December 26, 2004, that devastated communities along the surrounding coasts of the Indian Ocean, and killed an estimated 227,898 people in 14 countries.

In the Maldives, the tsunami killed 82 people, with another 26 missing and presumed dead, making it the deadliest disaster in the country’s history.

The day is marked in the Maldives as the National Unity Day.

The ‘Resilient 20’ exhibition, held under the theme ‘the Maldives post-2004 tsunami’, will be open from Thursday to Sunday.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, VP Hussain highlighted on the exemplary unity shown by Maldivians in the aftermath of the tsunami, and acknowledged the sacrifices made in national service by security forces, volunteers, and the general public, who drew courage from one another.

He also highlighted the work of the NDMA, which was established in response to the tsunami.

Hussain also launched the book ‘Maldives Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy 2024-2030,’ which was approved by the National Disaster Management Council on Tuesday, and listened to a special song composed for the National Unity Day.

Afterwards, he toured the exhibition and wrote a special message related to the tsunami in the ‘Honoring the Lives Lost’ segment.

He was then presented with the photo book of the 'Resilient 20' exhibition.

The exhibition will be open from 04:00 pm to 06:00 pm and from 08:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Thursday and Friday, and from 10:00 am to 06:00 pm and 08:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

The 2004 tsunami is in one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history.

In Maldives, the tsunami wreaked havoc on multiple islands, especially those in outlying low-level atolls.

82 people were confirmed to be killed - 43 males and 38 females, and 26 more – nine females and one male - were reported missing and presumed dead.

It also displaced over 15,000 people, as the tsunami destroyed 39 out of 200 inhabited islands.

The disaster resulted in an estimated USD 460 million in damages.