The devastating surge wielded a strong influence on this island country in the Indian Ocean, particularly the infrastructure in Malé was paralyzed and damaged at an estimated cost of U.S.$6 million.

[7] Malé instantly requested Tokyo for the emergency assistance and an aid in preventing disaster like the storm surge, and Japanese government accepted it.

A coastal protection project supported by Japan' ODA soon began within the year, and it continued until 2002 when completed the six kilometers long barrier all the way around the capital.

This enormous tsunami killed 230,000–280,000 people in Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Madagascar, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, and the Maldives outside Malé Island.

[6] Following the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, the Maldivian government decided to provide tuna cans as relief supplies.