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Recovery of cultural and natural heritage after a man-made or natural disaster is a vital factor in the reconstruction of fractured communities and in providing comfort and a sense of purpose to the stricken populations, a service to world heritage, and a contribution towards economic recovery.
The International Council of Museums, cognizant of its responsibility towards cultural and natural heritage institutions recovering from the effects of catastrophes, is creating a Disaster Relief for Museums Fund to enable ICOM to provide the most adequate assistance to such institutions - through public awareness campaigns in the media, site surveys, relief projects, post facto capacity building programs, production of risk management tools, or any other action deemed necessary.
The Fund will initially be used to finance ICOM's response to the damage caused by the December 26, 2004, earthquake and tsunamis that struck Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. The extent of our response will depend on need assessment and on available resources in the DRM Fund, which will be made up exclusively of contributions.
The long-term aim of the Disaster Relief for Museums Fund is to become a permanent means to allow ICOM to react swiftly to future crises, once recovery needs of cultural and natural heritage institutions in the tsunami-devastated region have been addressed in accordance with the directives of ICOM's Disaster Relief Task Force.

ICOM wishes to thank all those who have already indicated desire to contribute to this Fund and expresses advanced appreciation to those who are about to do so.

ICOM wishes to aknowledge the following contributors to the Disaster Relief for Museums Fund (only contributors who have consented to being mentioned are listed).

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