Nepal marks anniversary of quake

People gathered Sunday at the remains of a historic tower in Nepal's capital that collapsed in a devastating earthquake a year ago, as Nepalese held memorial services to mark the anniversary of a disaster that killed nearly 9,000 people and left millions homeless.   Minor protests were also held, with demonstrators angry at the slow rate of reconstruction in the wake of the magnitude-7.8 quake that ravaged vast areas of Nepal. 

Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli laid a wreath at the ruins of the Dharahara tower in the heart of Kathmandu. The iconic structure collapsed in the quake, killing 132 people. In all, 8,856 people died in the April 25, 2015, disaster.  Participating in the memorial ceremonies were people who lost loved ones in the quake, and others who simply came to pray for those killed.    About 100 protesters scuffled with riot police outside the prime minister's office demonstrating against the slow reconstruction of the homes. More than 600,000 homes were destroyed and around 185,000 damaged in the quake. 

According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, an estimated 4 million people are still living in sub-standard temporary shelters in conditions that pose a threat to their health and well-being. Only 661 families have received the first installment of a 200,000-rupee ($1,868) government grant, getting 50,000 rupees ($467) so far.  The international anti-poverty organization Oxfam noted last week that a year after the deadly earthquake, thousands of Nepalese, especially women, are being deprived of funds to rebuild because they do not own land or cannot prove they owned the land where they lived. Nepal's government requires proof of ownership, but many victims have lost documents and others did not formally own the land where they lived.   Oxfam said that in post-earthquake surveys, more than 90 percent of people claimed to own their own land before the disaster.   Save the Children, CARE International and other agencies say taht some 3 million people are living in temporary shelters with tarpaulin roofs ahead of Nepal's monsoon season.

Nepal has made almost no progress in rebuilding from the quake despite foreign donors pledging more than $4 billion in aid during a donor's conference last year. The government, in disarray for nearly a decade, has not regrouped enough to be a strong force for reconstruction.  Out of the $4.1 billion pledged, Nepal has so far received just $1.28 billion. The delay in getting the money has been blamed on the government taking months to set up the National Reconstruction Authority, which was done only in December.  Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel said the delay was because it was necessary to conduct a detailed survey of the damaged houses before reconstruction could begin.