KATMANDU: A year after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake tore through Nepal, millions of people remain homeless. Here are some key facts about the quake and the reconstruction effort.
• Death Toll: The death toll from the earthquake and its aftershocks stands at 8,959. Another 22,303 people were injured.
• Homes Destroyed: More than one million houses suffered severe damage. The quake destroyed 776,895 houses completely while 298,998 dwellings need repairs.
• Lost Heritage: 131 historic monuments were reduced to rubble while another 560 structures require repairs. Work on a few sites in the Katmandu valley has begun, but officials say it will be years before Nepal’s rich architectural heritage is restored.
• Health care: 1,227 health centers were damaged during the quake, severing a lifeline for remote, rural communities. Forty centers have been rebuilt so far, with work in progress on another 100 sites.
• Schools: The disaster destroyed or damaged nearly 8,000 schools, leaving almost one million children without classrooms. A handful of buildings have been repaired but most students still have lessons in bamboo and tin shelters.
• Economy: The earthquake caused losses of $7 billion. Nepal’s economy is now expected to grow by just 1.5 percent over the financial year ending in July 2016, the lowest level since 2007, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
• Foreign Aid: International donors, including India, China, World Bank and ADB, promised $4.1 billion to aid Nepal’s recovery. But the National Reconstruction Authority, the body in charge of spending the funds, was only set up in December.
• Funds Released: Although the government has promised around $2,000 to each household for rebuilding homes, only 641 families have received the first instalment of $500.
• Where Are Victims Living Now: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies estimates four million people are still living in temporary shelters.
The Himalayan quake: Key facts
The Himalayan quake: Key facts
Putin says developing Russia’s nuclear forces ‘absolute priority’
- Putin vowed to keep “strengthening the army and navy” and draw on military experience from the nearly four-year conflict in Ukraine
MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin said Sunday that developing Russia’s nuclear forces was now an “absolute priority” following the expiry of its last remaining nuclear treaty with the US.
“The development of the nuclear triad, which guarantees Russia’s security and ensures effective strategic deterrence and a balance of forces in the world, remains an absolute priority,” Putin said in a video message.
His speech came on Russia’s “Defender of the Fatherland Day,” a holiday that is an occasion for military pomp and Kremlin-sponsored patriotism.
Putin vowed to keep “strengthening the army and navy” and draw on military experience from the nearly four-year conflict in Ukraine.
All branches of the armed forces would be improved, he said, including their “combat readiness, their mobility, and their ability to operate in all conditions, even the most difficult.”
Putin’s remarks came just two days before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s assault on Ukraine that sparked a war that has shattered towns, uprooted millions and killed large numbers on both sides.
Moscow and Washington — the world’s two main nuclear powers — are no longer bound by any arms control pact since the New START agreement expired earlier this month.
But Russia said it would continue taking a “responsible” approach to strategic nuclear capability and respecting the limits set on its arsenal.
