People in Nepal have gathered in the capital Kathmandu, holding a candlelight vigil, to mark the first anniversary of a devastating natural disaster thatripped through the Himalayan nation and killed thousands of people.
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Nepal’s Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli after laying a wreath at the ruins of the Dharahara tower in the heart of Kathmandu.
Deputy prime ministers, ministers, chief executive officer of the NRA, chief secretary, high-level government officers, security chiefs, representatives of diplomatic missions and the public offered condolences to those who died in the natural disaster previous year at the condolence ceremony.
The 7.8-magnitude quake killed almost 9,000 people, including one Israeli, and some four million survivors are still living in temporary shelters, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
One year on, reconstruction has been slow and uneven in the poor Himalayan country and much of the US$4.1 billion pledged by donors for reconstruction in June last year remains unspent due to political squabbling.
Some four million survivors are still living in temporary shelters one year on, according to aid agencies, with frustration against the government mounting.
The Oli-led government has been facing criticism from all quarters, besides the global community for delaying the reconstruction process and not providing necessary subsidies to victims to reconstruct their damaged dwellings.
Senior leaders of the four major political parties would launch the reconstruction work in four important heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley to mark the first anniversary of the devastating quake.
“There were many people killed here on that day”.
Participating in the memorial ceremonies were people who lost loved ones in the quake, and others who simply came to pray for those killed.
One of the Buddhist temples at the spectacular hilltop complex, a UNESCO world heritage site, was completely destroyed by the 7.8-magnitude quake.
With the government-led reconstruction process getting delayed, over 31,000 quake-affected families have rebuilt their homes on their own, according to a recent government survey.
Only 661 families have received the first instalment of a 200,000-rupee (£1,300) government grant, getting 50,000 rupees (£325) so far.
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He also said the construction of private houses has been initiated in 10 districts to mark the anniversary.
