In pictures: Desperation in Asia

1 of 12 Five days after the tsunami, people are returning to India's devastated villages. Readers may find some of the following images disturbing.

2 of 12 The waves that devastated the region killed thousands in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

3 of 12 Most survivors are in dire need of help as the relief effort slowly gets under way.

4 of 12 Clothes, blankets and other supplies are arriving - notably in Sri Lanka - but have yet to reach many survivors.

5 of 12 More than 22,000 died in Sri Lanka and many more are homeless. Villagers are still hunting for bodies among the debris.

6 of 12 Photos of unidentified victims of the tsunami make for grim viewing, such as at this church in Sri Lanka

7 of 12 The disaster has hit a region still emerging from a bitter separatist war between Tamil Tiger rebels and the government

8 of 12 Rescue workers continue to find bodies in Thailand and elsewhere following the catastrophic sea surges.

9 of 12 The giant wave left urban streets in ruins, tossing cars around like flotsam.

10 of 12 In the haste to dispose of decomposing bodies, the dead are often buried - or cremated - before identification.

11 of 12 While the dead await identification, the search is on to aid the sick such as this little girl in Indonesia.

12 of 12 Some of the Westerners who survived have been returning to their home countries to relieved families and friends.