KATHMANDU, April 24 (APP/AFP): Nepal will hold memorial services on Sunday to remember thousands of people killed in a devastating earthquake one year ago, as authorities vow to expedite long-delayed reconstruction projects.
The 7.8-magnitude quake killed almost 9,000 people and some four million survivors are still living in temporary shelter, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
More than a hundred monuments were razed to rubble and another 560
structures damaged, including many centuries-old temples and stunning royal
palaces in the Kathmandu valley that used to attract visitors from around the world.
In the historic town of Bhaktapur, the traditional brick houses that made it famous have been replaced by grey tents and rusty tin shacks where women are now forced to raise their children.
“Unless we get help, I don’t know how we will ever live in a house again,” the mother-of-three told AFP sitting in her tent, which houses a bed and a stove.
“We will spend another monsoon here, we have no choice. If our government cared, we would not be living like this after a year.”
Although international donors pledged $4.1 billion to aid Nepal’s recovery, political wrangling over control of the funds means most victims have received nothing beyond an initial small payout.
The National Reconstruction Authority, tasked with disbursing the money and overseeing rebuilding, was not created until December.
Following a hailstorm of criticism, the government has vowed to kickstart reconstruction of schools and hospitals, and speed up handing out the first $500 instalment of a $2,000 payout promised to homeless survivors.
Kathmandu will also host condolence services and candlelight vigils on Sunday in memory of those who lost their lives.