Nepal Needs Two Billion Dollars for Reconstruction After Recent Earthquake

Nepal's Minister of Finance has stated that at least two billion dollars are required to rebuild homes, hospitals, government offices, and historical sites that were destroyed by the recent earthquake in the country. According to Reuters, Ram Sharan Mahat said on Friday, April 30, 'This is just a preliminary estimate, and assessing the extent of the damage and the cost of reconstruction will take more time.' The earthquake on Saturday has resulted in the deaths of 6,300 people so far. Meanwhile, six days after the event, the fate of thousands of others remains uncertain, including a thousand European citizens who have gone missing following the incident. AFP reported on Friday the statements of the EU ambassador to Nepal, who noted that these European citizens are missing and the EU does not know their current status. The agency also quoted another unnamed EU official stating that most of the missing are likely safe, but due to the difficult geographical conditions of the area and poor communication facilities, their current location is unknown. Most Europeans traveling to Nepal intend to ascend from the avalanche-prone Everest region and use basic transportation such as carts to reach the Langtang Himalaya area, which is near the earthquake's epicenter. The magnitude of the earthquake on Saturday was 7.8, and Nepalese officials estimate that it has led to the deaths of 6,024 people in the country to date. The earthquake has also claimed over 100 victims from neighboring countries, India and China. Meanwhile, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, who has traveled to Nepal, spoke to reporters on Friday about the challenges of relief work in the region. Valerie Amos stated that rescuers are facing many challenges, including trying to reach Nepal's mountainous villages, where there is no possibility of helicopter landings and the roads remain damaged. She added, 'Of course, we are concerned about this issue. The people in those areas are in dire need of assistance, but reaching them takes a long time. Some villages have been almost completely flattened.' According to this UN official, Nepalese and foreign leaders are trying to provide aid to those in need, but the scale of the devastation is so large that it poses challenges for any government. The United Nations had previously announced that over 130,000 houses have been destroyed due to the earthquake.