Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala  made an appeal for international aid of $2.6 billion to help his country rebuild after an earthquake ravaged Nepal and killed thousands of its citizens.

Last April, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook the foundations of Nepal, destroying most of the impoverished nation's infrastructure (up to half a million homes were destroyed) and taking more than 8,500 people with it. To add to the burden, another massive tremor erupted just a couple of weeks later, triggering deadly landslides, destroying more homes, and terrorizing a populace still traumatized by the previous quake.

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Even government buildings and offices were not immune. The two quakes practically swallowed up more than a thousand government buildings, including the prime minister's office. Other affected buildings include Rastrapati Bhawan, Nepal's Central Bank, the National Planning Commission, and some ministry offices.

To rehabilitate the people and help affected Nepalese restore their homes, Prime Minister Koirala, whose government is just over a year old, has initiated a national reconstruction and rehabilitation fund. He urged donors to give wholeheartedly, with hopes of the fund reaching the $2 billion mark. He also urged local officials and opposing political parties to unite in dealing with the disaster that has befallen their nation.

Since the earthquake, there have been approximately 20 countries involved in rescue and relief efforts, sending rescuers to search for survivors while delivering other forms of humanitarian aid. Just recently, a U.S. military helicopter undertaking rescue operations ended up crashing on a remote forest within the affected area.

United Nations spokespersons told the media that so far, they have only accumulated $22 million of the $145 million it has appealed for to assist in relief operations. Humanitarian agencies cautioned rescuers to hasten rescue and relief operations, as the approaching monsoon season could potentially trigger further landslides and other weather effects that could prove detrimental to the relief efforts.

TagsNepal, earthquake, Sushil Koirala