Scant progress 2 years after massive quake
KATHMANDU, Nepal — Two years ago, Nepal was ravaged by a massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people and left another 4 million homeless as their humble homes built from brick and stone were toppled within seconds.
Only a small number have managed to rebuild since then, with the vast majority still sheltering in makeshift tents as they wait for government aid to be coordinated and dispersed across the Himalayan nation.
The quake decimated homes, infrastructure and temples across the country, and the full extent of the damage is still being determined. The government estimates it will need $9.4 billion to rebuild everything.
The government has so far counted 626,694 homes as damaged, though it has only surveyed the 14 worst-hit districts and has another 17 districts to work through. It is believed the actual number of homes damaged could be as high as a million.
Foreign governments and agencies have pledged roughly $4.2 billion in reconstruction aid, and Nepal has reached deals to collect three-quarters of that. But reconstruction officials say they have no source for the rest of the needed funds, and are relying on foreign countries to provide that as well.
In the quake’s aftermath, Nepal immediately became embroiled in political squabbles, and has since shuffled through two administrations. A supply crisis also hampered progress and distracted officials, with thousands of protesters from ethnic minority groups demanding more constitutional representation blocking fuel and food shipments at the border in 2015 and for several months in 2016.
It took more than eight months for Nepal to create a National Reconstruction Authority to deal with all earthquake aid assessments, claims and payments, and then another three months to sort out the agency’s leadership.
To date, Nepal has managed to rebuild just over 22,000 homes — or about 3.5 percent of the number so far counted for reconstruction.