One year after the magnitude-7.8 earthquake devastated Nepal and killed nearly 9,000 people, the Pandey family still hasn’t moved back home. They’re living in a small temporary shelter across the road from their damaged house, in the rugged hills of Nuwakot District, about 50 miles from Kathmandu. The family of five shares a cramped wooden shed with some unwelcome guests. The country also dragged its feet in establishing the Nepal Reconstruction Authority, which began operations in January, more than seven months after the earthquake that damaged or destroyed more than 900,000 homes. Costs of damages and losses are estimated at $7 billion, according to the government. “There are scorpions,” said Pandey’s mother Saraswoti, 40. “The other night, I saw a snake hanging down from the ceiling,” she said. During monsoon season, rain comes pouring in through the tin roof. In the winter, they try to plug up drafts with hay and build bonfires outside. The only relief that reached the Pandey family was a tarp and some bulk rice and lentils. They haven’t received any rebuilding assistance from Nepal’s government, which has faced criticism at home and from international donors for its handling of one of biggest natural disasters in the country’s history.Although $4.1 billion in international aid has been pledged by donors, only a small fraction has been committed and disbursed. In the meantime, all over the earthquake-impacted zones, families are still living in temporary shelters some 3 million people, according to aid group Save the Children. While initial relief efforts were fairly robust, red tape, political infighting and inefficiency have hobbled the rebuilding process. Nepal’s parliament passed a new constitution in September 2015, which led to political tensions among the diverse ethnic communities. Protesters at the Indian border began a blockade that lasted more than four months, causing severe shortages of fuel and other supplies across Nepal.
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