Three years back, the Indian Ocean countries had experienced the massive tsunami, the horrible waves of the earthquake-triggered walls of seawater. It was one of the worst natural catastrophes in modern times.

Since the day, 26 December 2004, several national and international groups have been engaged in rehabilitation programs for the people living in coastal region, who lost their homes and dear-ones within hours.

According to the Catholic Relief Services press release, the projected overall spending in 2009 for providing emergency and continuing rebuilding aid in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India is $205 million.

CRS is likely to spend more than $176 million in private revenues to help survivors of Tsunami. It has also been granted $29 million from the US government and other institutional donors as well for the rehabilitation works.

Here is the detail about the overall plans the agency has for each of the three countries, India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka and how it helped the families and communities to rebuild their homes, to restart their trades and to get new job skills; to rebuild schools, hospitals and other important community houses and to strengthen the ability of communities to become more self-sufficient.

CRS says that its long-term objectives for displaced in India are to rehabilitate them first and to create daily living opportunities for them. It is planning to help these people to be prepared for any natural disaster in future. The agency is also involved in spreading awareness about AIDS and other diseases as well. The agency says that it is committed to help people still facing the results of one of the worst natural disaster to hit India in centuries.

According to the press release, The CRS tsunami program in India is being said as one of the best illustration of the work with partners and the investment in disaster response and mitigation. Some 42,500 tsunami-affected families have had their homes and livelihoods restored.

Some 300,000 people are protecting their women, children and other vulnerable members from trafficking, unsafe migration, child labor and HIV. Some 800 disaster-prone communities (280,000 people) are well prepared to face such natural hazards in future. According to the data, the confirmed deaths from the tsunami are 15,000, and about 650,000 people became homeless.

In the past three years of rehabilitation works, CRS and its partners in India-

# Provided food and medical care to 350,000 and 250,000 people in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami.

# Helped 146,572 people to access clean water and set up improved water systems in many areas.

# Rebuild 1,852 temporary homes designed to house 15,000 survivors till their own houses are completed.

# CRS, in collaboration with Caritas India, helped over 6,000 people to be settled in 1,500 permanent houses. Hundreds of more such homes are still under construction.

# Involved more then 57,000 distressed children in camps and various programs running on health, hygiene, child rights and protection technique to save themselves in future disasters.

# Distributed boats, nets and other tools to more than 31,755 families and individuals for helping them to restart their fishing, agriculture and other trades.

# Helped 7,058 people to get vocational training as an opportunities to learn new job skills.

# Helped women to get jobs, health care and education through the setting up 1,845 new self-help groups.