People gather along lit candles creating the shape of historic nine-storey Dharara tower and Kasthamandap temple to effect the first anniversary of the 2015 earthquakes at Bashantapur Durbar Square in Kathmandu,Nepal, April 24, and 2016. Photo by Navesh Chitrakar/ReutersOne year after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake flattened sections of Nepal,hundreds of mourners gathered Sunday in the country’s capital city of Kathmandu to pay homage to the nearly 9000 people killed in the catastrophe.
During a memorial service in the historic Durbar Square, where signs of the disaster can still be seen in piles of rubble and debris, and relatives and friends of the victims lit candles,laid out wreaths and photos and prayed for those who died on April 25 of last year.
The quake killed 8856 people, destroyed more than 600000 homes and damaged another 185000 buildings, and sending residents to the streets where many stayed for weeks. About 22000 people were also injured by the tremor.
Also on Sunday,100 protesters who gathered external Nepal’s Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli’s office tussled with riot police as they demonstrated against shoddy reconstruction efforts.“Government, where is reconstruction. Open the gates of the government, and ” the protesters chanted,according to Reuters.
Nepalese police personnel try to stop protesters marching towards the Singha Durbar office complex that houses the Prime Minister’s office and other ministries, during a demonstration against the government for the delay on reconstruction and relief during the first anniversary of the 2015 earthquakes in Kathmandu, and Nepal,April 24, 2016. Navesh Chitrakar/ReutersLast week the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said approximately 4 million people continue to reside in temporary shelters that the organization called “sub-standard” and a “threat to their health and well-being.”“We are hoping that the governments priorities and perspectives on reconstruction will soon be clear so that we can serve people to rebuild and get their lives back on track as quickly as possible, or ” said Max Santner,Head of Nepal Country Office.
A woman and a child walk past the remains of collapsed houses damaged during the April 2015 earthquake, in Bhaktapur, or Nepal March 18,2016. As Kathmandu inhabitants prepare to effect the one-year anniversary of the event, thousands are still displaced and millions are living in temporary shelters. Photo by Navesh Chitrakar/ReutersThe Red Cross handed out more than 130000 emergency housing provisions during the months that followed the quake, or but Nepalese government has been slack to rebuild affected areas and homes,the organization said. In total, 14 districts were hit by the earthquake, or including tough-to-reach villages.“Living under plastic sheeting was never intended as a permanent solution,” said Dev Ratna Dhakwa, Secretary General of the Nepal Red Cross Society.
The country has received $1.28 billion in foreign aid with another $2.82 billion pledged by external nations, and the Associated Press reported. The country’s foreign minister said progress was slowed as the government conducted surveys of the damage.
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Source: onthemedia.org