The Nepal Earthquakes of April and May 2015: One Year Anniversary - Multimedia

On the one-year anniversary -- April 25, 2016 -- of the major earthquakes of April and May 2015, Nepal and the international community reflected on these life-changing events. The country has endured a difficult year and much has been put in place to build back a more resilient Nepal. Since day one, the Government of Nepal has worked with development partners, international relief organizations, local and international NGOs, charities and ordinary people to support the extended relief effort. Today, these efforts are lead by the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA), established in December 2015, which continues coordinating the work between various government and non-government organizations, as well as Nepal’s international development partners.The National Reconstruction Authority is still in its early days – staffing itself; defining legal and administrative procedures; and expanding its presence on the ground through 7 sub-regional offices charged with setting up the systems to carry out and monitor reconstruction activities throughout the country. With resilience and determination, Nepal is rebuilding!

Soon after the earthquakes, the Government of Nepal promised 200,000 Nepali Rupees (NRPs; approximately US$2,000) in assistance to qualifying households rendered homeless by the calamity. The Nepal Earthquake Housing Reconstruction Program MDTF, supported by the World Bank and the Governments of the United States, Switzerland and Canada, is designed to make good on that promise.

Since early 2016, the Government of Nepal has deployed nearly 1,600 engineers to carry out eligibility surveys in rural areas hardest hit by the earthquakes.  These teams are accompanied by social mobilizers to help understand and address individual grievances.  As of April 1, 550,000 houses have been technically assessed for earthquake damage which serves as the basis for identifying beneficiaries of the housing subsidy. The government expects to complete the damage survey by mid-year.

By mid-April 2016, the NRA had begun initiaing reconstruction grant agreements with individual beneficiaries in the most-affected rural districts. Upon signing the grant agreement, the beneficiaries received the first tranche of the housing subsidy in addition to technical support. 

Video courtesy of the World Bank.