With the cost of recovery in earthquake-ravaged Nepal estimated at $6.6 billion, preparations are underway for a donor conference this week to coordinate reconstruction and drum up support for the underfunded aid effort.
On the ground, aid partners are already pushing into recovery: clearing debris, building temporary shelters, and running cash-for-work programs in villages damaged by the April 25, 7.8-magnitude temblor and resulting aftershocks, which killed over 8,700.
But the overall relief effort is still being delayed by major customs bottlenecks. Further, rains, which broke in eastern Nepal in mid-June, are already hampering relief, triggering landslides, flash floods and cutting off remote villages.
Read more stories on the Nepal earthquake response:
► The race for safer hospitals in quake-hit Nepal
► In Nepal, tapping local labor to fast-track recovery
► Planning for donor fatigue in Nepal
► Local partners key in building back better in Nepal
About the author
Alys Francis
Alys Francis is a freelance journalist covering development and other news in South Asia for international media outlets. Based in India, she travels widely around the region and has covered major events, including national elections in India and Nepal. She is interested in how technology is aiding development and rapidly altering societies.
