KATHMANDU, NEPAL, June 15, 6, 2015 (by Shirish B Pradhan, Outlook India News): Nearly one million people have slipped below poverty line in Nepal due to two powerful earthquakes that left about 9,000 people dead and a trail of destruction across the country. “The earthquakes have pushed 982,000 more people back into poverty due to the loss of assets and income generating opportunities,” according to a report by Nepal’s National Planning Commission. The draft report on Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA), which will be given final shape soon, has put the needs estimate of the country at USD 6.66 billion or nearly one third of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
The draft PDNA, prepared by the NPC working with some 250 Nepali and international experts, divides the damage assessment into 21 sectors. It has calculated the damage extent in housing and human settlements, the sector suffering the most damage, at US$3.2 billion. Damage to education and tourism is estimated at $274 million and $176 million respectively. NPC handed over the PDNA draft report to Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on Friday. Vice Chairman of NPC Govind Raj Pokharel claimed that the report will be finalised by June 18 and will include inputs from broader consultations to be organised in Kathmandu on Saturday, as well as donors’ comments thereafter. The report will be tabled before the donor community at an international donors conference here on June 25 to collect resources for the post \quake rebuilding and reconstruction.