GENEROUS local donations are helping to rebuild homes and lives in tsunami-torn countries.
The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami killed more than 200,000 people in Indonesia, India, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Somalia.
Teessiders donated £62,280 to the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (Cafod) tsunami appeal, helping to bring the total raised by the aid agency to £9m.
A further £18m was made available to Cafod through the joint British aid agency appeal under the Disasters Emergency Committee banner.
David Cross, Cafod's manager for Middlesbrough Diocese, said: "Money donated to Cafod from people here in Cleveland has made a huge difference to tsunami survivors in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India, and Cafod would like to say thank you.
"Two years on, Cafod and its partners have made good progress. People are living in new houses, more homes are being built, and people are back at work and making a living for their families."
However, he added: "Much more needs to be done and challenges remain."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article