26 December, 2004 will always be remembered as Black Sunday, when 2,30,000 lives across 14 countries were lost in the Indian Ocean tsunami, with 18,000 of these deaths in South India. Coastal communities were in a state of shock as family members died or went missing, while agricultural land, salt pans, fishing boats and homes were swallowed whole. It is estimated that nearly 9,00,000 people were affected in the three most badly-hit districts in Tamil Nadu – Nagapattinam, Cuddalore and Kanyakumari.Once the Indian government provided emergency relief supplies to the areas that bore the brunt of the tsunami, they also issued a mass media appeal for counselors who could provide psychological support to the disaster victims who experienced severe post-traumatic stress. OfERR recognized that the time had come to return the kindness shown by Tamil Nadu to Sri Lankan refugees, by rising to the occasion and helping those whose lives were shattered by the catastrophe.

OfERR volunteers plunged into the ‘Refugees to the Rescue’ mission wholeheartedly and traveled to the worst-hit areas to not just provide psychological guidance to the survivors but also conduct extensive relief work. OfERR repaired thatched roofs and replaced tar sheets, doors and interiors, constructed temporary shelters, toilets, bathing enclosures and sheds, distributed fire buckets for emergencies and made significant improvements to the water and sanitation situation in these villages.In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, refugee volunteers from OfERR provided food supplies to 44,919 people, conducted medical camps for 8,883 people and awareness programs on livelihood restoration, health safety, solar energy and home gardening for 16,243 people. OfERR also coordinated relief efforts with the Minister of Finance, Tamil Nadu, the Senior Secretary overseeing rehabilitation work, the Joint Director of Health Services, panchayat leaders and Additional Collectors in these districts to pool resources and avoid wastage.