3. 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami – Indonesia
On December 26, 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, triggering a tsunami that caused catastrophic destruction to Thailand, Indonesia, India, and Sri Lanka. More than 226,000 people were killed in these countries, many of which were vacationing in the countries’ tropical resorts. The entire world banded together to provide aid to help the survivors of the natural disaster and to help with the rebuilding process. More than $14 billion was raised from organizations, such as UNICEF, who went to work immediately with their humanitarian efforts.
