On 26 December 2004, a sea surge disaster struck vast coastal areas on the Indian Ocean and left more than 300,000 people dead. A gigantic tsunami hit India, wreaking havoc across the southern coastline. It was caused by a massive earthquake on the sea bed off the coast of Sumatra, which triggered a chain of waves that travelled at the speed of 500 km per hour. The most severely affected areas in India included Pondicherry and coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala provinces.

From the first day, SOS Children's Villages of India started an emergency relief programme and has so far established five child protection centres with a capacity of 30 children each. More than 900 families with about 2,000 children have received support. Re-construction of seven villages, which are home to around 1,100 families, is also under way. In addition, the government of Pondicherry has asked SOS Children's Villages of India to establish an SOS Children's Village in Pondicherry province for children who have lost their entire families, so that they can overcome their traumatic experiences with the help of a mother, a home, a family and a sense of belonging.

Pondicherry town, the capital of the Union Territory of Pondicherry, is located on the east coast of India in the Bay of Bengal, about 160 km south of Chennai. Having been the capital of the French colonies in India from the 17th century to 1954, the town has a rich French cultural heritage: neatly laid out streets that still carry their French names, wide boulevards, beautiful promenades, architecturally imposing churches and public buildings. Despite the relatively high degree of urbanisation, about 45 % of the population depend on agriculture (mainly crops and dairy products) and fishery for their livelihood.