Feature: Nepal still reeling one year after quake tragedy

Nepal marked the first anniversary on Sunday of a powerful earthquake that killed nearly 9, 000 people and left more than half a million without homes.

Twelve months have been passed since a magnitude-7.9 earthquake wreaked havoc, with the widespread devastation shattering the hearts and minds of a nation, with the worst quake to hit the Himalayan nation in more than 80 years leaving a terrible scar.

Locals continue to do their best to try and forget the disastrous nightmare by engaging in their regular work and resuming business in the mountainous region.

According to the Post Disaster Needs Assessment report, the Himalayan country requires nearly 7 billion U.S. dollars for recovery. But while international donors have pledged to provide 4.1 billion U.S. dollars for reconstruction of the country, Nepal has received only 8.04 million U.S. dollars so far.

The country has put forward a five-year recovery plan to reconstruct all the houses, infrastructure, heritage sites and restore precious monuments damaged in the quake.

Not limited to this, the government also launched a massive reconstruction campaign in the capital, under the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) which was inaugurated by President Bidya Devi Bhandari in January.

The government is still busy launching reconstruction campaigns, making commitments on public programs and in speeches. But the unfortunate fact remains that for all the government's upbeat rhetoric, the situation of the majority of displaced villages has improved very little, if at all.

MIRACLE BOY

Four-month-old Sonish Awal was a regular infant until the April 25, 2015 earthquake made him an overnight star. Being pulled alive from the rubble of his collapsed house 22 hours after the quake, the miracle-boy caught the attention of the whole world.

Two days before the first anniversary of the earthquake a joyful Sonish was at home tottering around a small rented-room uttering "mummy" and "daddy."

Despite receiving the attention of the world's media, the living condition of Sonish and his family is quiet miserable.

After losing their home, they are living in a small room in Bhaktapur, where a single room serves as a bedroom, living room and kitchen.

Awal's family need to pay Rs 2000 (about 19 U.S. dollars) a month for rent.

"For few weeks, we lived in tents and have finally moved to this room. We don't have the original documents of our property so we could not receive a quake-victim identity card and thus couldn't get any relief from the government. The past year was full of hardships," 36-year-old Rashmila Suwal, Sonish's mother, told Xinhua.

She added, "My baby is a symbol of hope, so many people and organizations extended help by way of gifts such as chocolates, biscuits or money. But my major concern is his education, as well as making sure he has enough healthy food and a safe home."

But while Sonish's story is miraculous, the lack of assistance from the government is far from phenomenal as is the case with the majority of survivors in the some of the worst-hit districts.

LIVES ROBBED

Sindhupalchowk was one of the hardest-hit districts where 3,600 lives were lost and 90 percent of houses were destroyed. Thami Gaun, located in the Tatopani village development committee, saw all of its 115 households destroyed.

In the village, four-year-old Suraj Thami was playing with his friends in the front part of a makeshift shelter made of mud and a zinc sheet.

When the quake ravaged the village, Suraj's mother, with a newly-born son, was sleeping inside the room at her maternal home. As the tremors started, Suraj got trapped under a cupboard which, in fact, saved his life. Unfortunately, his 22-year-old mother, Bimala Thami, and his four-month-old brother were not so lucky.

They were a happy family before that fateful day, but the disaster changed the life of Suraj forever, robbing him of his mother and brother and seeing his father leave, never to return.

"Suraj is the last memory of my eldest daughter. We want to send him to school and see him receive a good education, but have no money for admission or stationery. We need to rebuild our home first and only then can we think about his future," Aakhli Thami, the grandmother of Suraj, told Xinhua.

TALK IS CHEAP

Majhi Gaon is a small fishing village in Beltar village development committee in Sindhupalchowk. Located around 65 km away from the hustle and bustle of the capital city, on the bank of Indrawati River, the fishermen's village is unrecognizable.

All 50 houses made of mud and stone were completely destroyed in the disaster, with the debris not yet cleared despite 365 days passing since the quake.

The community of fishermen that has lived here for generations is now one of temporary shelters made from zinc sheets with its people left to live in miserable conditions.

"I have received Rs 25,000 in total from the government in the past year. It was entirely insufficient. I am waiting for the grant to reconstruct my damaged house. I heard they will provide Rs 50,000 as the first installment. The amount, however, is not enough to rebuild the house," 64-year-old Mauri Majhil told Xinhua.

The government earlier announced it would distribute Rs 200,000 as a housing reconstruction grant to displaced families in three installments. For this, the Finance Ministry has already provided Rs 65 billion out of total allocation of Rs 74 billion to the NRA.

But the NRA has not been able to distribute the funds to all affected districts, due to a lack of coordination with the local village development committees.

This delay in implementation has pushed the quake displaced families further into misery. A year has passed with the government making promises and commitments of early reconstruction, however, mere assurances are not enough to mend the damaged houses and broken hearts of the victims. Endit