Devastation wrought by the Great Earthquake on April 25 and subsequent powerful aftershocks nearly left us high and dry. More than 8,700 people were killed and about 21,000 injured. Over half a million private houses were destroyed, and thousands of public buildings and historical monuments turned to rubble. No doubt, much needs to be done on relief front—there are reports of victims in the hardest hit districts not receiving basic relief assistance even after one and half months of this national tragedy. But it is equally crucial to devise reconstruction plans to rebuild the destroyed structures and rehabilitate and relocate the homeless to safer areas. The national reconstruction won't be easy—it will cost us billions, which cannot be managed through internal resources, when country's economy has been badly affected. So much is going to depend on international support. The government should make the best out of the Donor Conference (scheduled for June 25) to garner funds for reconstruction.There are some positive signs already. Various donor agencies including the UN, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have promised to announce more aid, plus high-level representation at the conference. The government has already established a National Reconstruction Fund of US$ 2 billion and allocated US $200 million—the remaining amount is expected from the international development partners. We are all set to form a reconstruction authority as well. Nepal's reconstruction challenges have also become a subject of discussion in the international forums. The G7 leaders in the recently concluded G7 Summit in Germany pledged to contribute for Nepal's reconstruction. A press release by the Office of the Press Secretary of the White House states: "We are ready to consider requests for bi- and multi-lateral financial and technical support as well as reconstruction assistance in alignment with the priorities of the Nepalese government." Nepal needs to cash in all the international good will. However, it is also imperative to send some credible signals to win their trust through concrete actions, much before June 25.
Apparently, donors have concerns about transparency and capability of the proposed reconstruction authority to implement reconstruction plans. They have also emphasized the need to incorporate livelihood issues and local participation. Perhaps, some of their concerns are out of place. But let us not forget that our government's failure to maintain transparency has greatly helped in harboring such concerns. There are cases of irregularities, including misuse of relief materials by the government ministers and politicians. There must be swift action against all those involved in misuse of relief resources to send a clear message that not a single penny from donor contribution will be misused. We only have two weeks to go before the conference but we have not yet appointed officials including the chief of the proposed reconstruction authority. Members with proven moral integrity and national and international credibility should be appointed. The government still needs to do a lot of work for the conference. The 16-point agreement of Monday night has not only ended political deadlock and paved way for constitution making but also sent message of political unity and set a tone for a productive donor conference. The government should work to make it a grand success.
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