asia stops to reflect 20 years on from the devastating indian ocean tsunami. the white house slams russia's christmas day attack on ukraine — we'll be on the ground in kyiv. dozens of people survive a plane crash in kazakhstan — authorities say 38 people were killed. and player a56 is going back into the game — we'll be discussing the cultural significance of squid game ahead of the second season. welcome to newsday. december 26th marks the 20 year

anniversary of the boxing day tsunami that struck the indian ocean in 200a. it killed more than 200,000 people in m different countries, making it the deadliest tsunami in recorded history. people in the countries worst affected are remembering those killed with memorial services. indonesia was among the worst hit country. more than 167,000 people were killed, with waves reaching more than 50 metres. these pictures are from commemorations today in banda aceh in indonesia, where residents have been taking part in a vigil to remember those who lost their lives. a minute's silence was observed and a siren, replicating the warning siren of 20 yers ago was played. and we can bring you these images live from thailand, where images live from thailand, local residents and foreign where local residents and foreign dignitaries are gathering for a religious

ceremony to remember the day. 0ur south east asia correspondentjonathan head reported extensively from the region in the wake of the tsunami — these are his reflections 20 years on. i think it is, the thing about a natural disaster compared to so many other stories we cover where there is a huge amount of outrage and analysis, there is not a whole lot you can say about a disaster of that scale. it was so much bigger than anything else we covered. when i started my reporting here in thailand in phuket on phi phi island, crushed by concrete, arms and legs sticking out i never

experienced anything like that. then i got to aceh, the worst hit part of indonesia, around 120,000 people died. you could not believe it. it was total loss. people had seen their entire villages wiped out. sometimes even the land their villages had stood as the sea took whole coastlines away. they were wandering around in a daze. it had taken quite a while for a sufficient operation to get up to speed and there is only one small airport in aceh. people looked absolutely desolate. what really stands out is when you go back, those memories are seared into people, very easy to bring tears as they remember, and yet people have rebuilt people are tough and resilient and i think people understand when there is a natural disaster, the only thing you can do is come together. we definitely have better

preparedness now. it isjust the awareness of tsunamis today is so much better, even though there are some questions about how effective these various warning systems are that they have got. everybody now knows that if there is a massive earthquake or if they see the ocean start to go out, which is what happened in thailand were all of these people were holidaying on the beachjust saw the sea disappear and go out, they all ran onto the beach. they were curious and didn't know an enormous wave would come in and crush them. today they know that and they know if you can get to higher ground quickly, you can be ok. almost everybody who was killed was killed within one kilometre off the coast so there were lessons learned. many, very good lessons. it is that spirit of human endurance that stands out. the fact that you don't have to blame anybody for a natural disaster like that, you've just got to be prepared and i think there is a strong sense today, 20 years on through all these commemorative events that people need to remember it is a long time ago

now. a lot of people didn't experience it but they must be ready in case something like that happens again. absolutely and around _ that happens again. absolutely and around the _ that happens again. absolutely and around the world, - that happens again. absolutely and around the world, the - and around the world, the morning after christmas day, singing those images, it was quite something. you reported from the region extensively and 20 years on, what are people telling you now? have they managed to rebuild fully and will these commemorations, will they be enough to remember those and the livelihoods that they lost? i those and the livelihoods that the lost? ~ , those and the livelihoods that they lost?— they lost? i think they will. they are — they lost? i think they will. they are not _ they lost? i think they will. they are not having - they lost? i think they will. l they are not having massive events. i think people have that sense that they have got to get on with their lives. people will attend. i know you're in thailand the government is organising a formal memorial, a government event, not particularly colourful or spontaneous but all of the local people will come out because it absolutely shattered their communities. many people lost almost their entire families and it took

them a long time to rebuild with a great deal of assistance. they have rebuilt but of course they haven't forgotten. i think there is a concern that as the years go on, people willjust... it will not be foremost in their minds and they won't be as prepared. there were some good lessons learned. 0ne there were some good lessons learned. one of the things i particularly remember is when the airport was completely clogged up and at one point there was a cow that was hit on there was a cow that was hit on the runway and it blocked all aid coming into quite a long time. the united states showed up time. the united states showed up with aircraft carriers and realised they could use their helicopters, military helicopters, military helicopters to go to aid depots, pickup aid, deliver it to very remote areas and then go back to the aircraft carriers, basically operating an offshore airport. lots of new ideas about how you deal with those disasters were learnt during the immediate aftermath and with reconstruction, there are always lessons learnt about what is the most effective way? how do you deliver aid on that

scale without a lot of it being lost through inefficiency. all of the horrors of the tsunami, many good lessons were learned. another good thing to remember about the tsunami is its location was perhaps the worst possible. 0ne location was perhaps the worst possible. one of the biggest earthquakes ever recorded, more than nine on the richter scale but also its location meant the tsunami went out to many, many heavily populated areas, along way off. it hit the coast of east africa thousands of kilometres away. sri lanka was a long way from the epicentre, 35,000 people there died. thailand was very packed with tourists at christmas, 45 different nationalities died there. it was almost uniquely destructive as an event and really quite shattering at the time. we have had nothing on that scale since then. i'm joined now by sanny ramos jegillos, senior advisor on disaster risk reduction for the un's agency for international development,

which responded to the tsunami in 2004. many thanks for joining many thanks forjoining us on the programme today you are still working with many of those communities. how do you support them today to prepare and respond as disasters like the 2004 tsunami? i and respond as disasters like the 2004 tsunami?— and respond as disasters like the 2004 tsunami? i am in khao lak today as _ the 2004 tsunami? i am in khao lak today as i — the 2004 tsunami? i am in khao lak today as i speak, _ the 2004 tsunami? i am in khao lak today as i speak, where - the 2004 tsunami? i am in khao lak today as i speak, where we | lak today as i speak, where we saw heavy mortality in areas that was impacted by the tsunami. we continue to try to ensure awareness of the dangers and risks of tsunami continue to be front and foremost in everybody�*s mind. in collaboration with governments in almost 18 countries in the pacific and the indian ocean, we collaborate with the people

and government ofjapan, and government of japan, ensuring and government ofjapan, ensuring that we work at a school level to a tsunami preparedness programme that has now helped almost 200,000 schoolchildren becoming aware of what other risks not only with tsunamis but all other risks in coastal areas and to be prepared for it. it is something we want to continue over the years, over the different generations that are at risk of many natural hazards.— at risk of many natural hazards. ~ ., u, ., hazards. mentioned education. it is so important _ hazards. mentioned education. it is so important to _ hazards. mentioned education. it is so important to teach - it is so important to teach kids about these types of disasters. could you give us an example of one community you have worked with that has rebuilt and how they might be feeling now?— rebuilt and how they might be feeling now? they are certainly bein: feeling now? they are certainly being assisted _ feeling now? they are certainly being assisted from _ feeling now? they are certainly being assisted from the - being assisted from the perspective of education. what is remarkable about the solidarity of international community, which are

organisation is a part of, is many of the schools and houses and public assets that were heavily damaged have been restored 20 years later and we saw that being restored ten years ago. it is important, however, that the current generation was not born yet when the tsunami happened in 2004. basically, what we do is we help school principals or school administrators assess their level of preparedness at a school level, understand in several criteria where are the implements? and it is important that the schools themselves continue conducting tsunami drills and awareness and these are now being integrated into the curriculum. for example, in thailand, we work with the minister for thailand, we work with the ministerfor education thailand, we work with the minister for education and the office of education to ensure that the guidelines we develop are based on real experiences

and are being incorporated into the curriculum and they can continue doing this in more than 20,000 schools not only in the tsunami risk area but in all other places at risk of natural hazards.- all other places at risk of natural hazards. , ., , , ., natural hazards. these tapes of recovery measures _ natural hazards. these tapes of recovery measures have - natural hazards. these tapes of recovery measures have shown | recovery measures have shown the efforts of organisations such as yours. how has it changed the way you work, especially in this region? there are certainly very important lessons on the recovery. i myself have a lot of experience working on recovery but i think what is important to emphasise is that we don'tjust look at important to emphasise is that we don't just look at the physical recovery but we look at the human development aspect of recovery and one aspect of thatis of recovery and one aspect of that is education. it is also about helping them, governments and local organisations go back to the development pathways. a very good example that i can

cite is aceh province. before the tsunami it was right at the bottom of human development in approximately 70 or so provinces in indonesia. then later on when we conducted a survey ten years later, they were still in the bottom ten or 20 of human development in indonesia but 20 years later on, as we speak today, human development report conducted by the government reveal that gregory province is now top ten of human development. —— aceh province. we work together this is an important work for us as an agency, not as one sector by bringing all of the sectors together to achieve recovery as well as achieving human development, those are importantaims we development, those are important aims we should be looking out. they are not a 1—off event. they can happen any time and they could be another type of natural hazard but human development is a very important aspect we should

continue to look into with or without the threat of any crisis. ., , without the threat of any crisis. . , ., , , ., crisis. that is absolutely a significant _ crisis. that is absolutely a significant achievement i crisis. that is absolutely a . significant achievement given the scale of the destruction. we will have to leave it there. from the undp, many thanks for your time. from the undp, many thanks for your time-— your time. thank you very much for having _ your time. thank you very much for having undp _ your time. thank you very much for having undp here. - your time. thank you very much for having undp here. a - your time. thank you very much | for having undp here. a number of bushfires _ for having undp here. a number of bushfires are _ for having undp here. a number of bushfires are raging _ for having undp here. a number of bushfires are raging over - of bushfires are raging over the state of victoria, with warnings of extreme fire danger and temperatures up to 40 celsius and went up to 90 kilometres per hour, making it a challenge for firefighters to contain the blazers. i'm joined now byjason heffernan, chief officer at the country fire authority. he's also spokesperson for victoria's state control centre. what is the situation right now and what are you planning for

in the days and weeks ahead? thanks to having me come on and have a chat with you this evening. certainly 1534 00:14:06,262 --> 00:14: