NEW DELHI // The death toll from Nepal’s earthquake climbed to nearly 6,000 on Thursday, as public discontent over the government’s struggle to cope with the devastation spilt over into the political system.
Nepal has enlisted aid from several countries, notably India, but relief goods have piled up at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan international airport, with authorities unable to transport them quickly into the quake-hit city and the villages beyond.
Leaders from the opposition Maoist party have begun to blame the government, led by prime minister Sushil Koirala, for being ineffective. Dina Nath Sharma, a Maoist spokesperson, told the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that Mr Koirala had acted too slowly and was "showing an insensitive attitude at this time of great national loss."
However, Nihar Nayak, a Nepal researcher affiliated with the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis, a New Delhi-based think tank, suggested on Thursday that the Maoists’ criticism of the government was at least partly aimed at scoring political points.
Many roads in rural Nepal are still impassable as a result of landslides that occurred earlier this week. Medical services are finding it difficult to handle the large number of injured patients, while in villages, people continue to live outdoors, uncertain if their cracked and damaged houses are safe.
“My uncle in Kathmandu tells me every day that he and his neighbours are tired of waiting for proper help,” said Shiv Kumar Khatri, a 31-year-old Nepali who works as a driver in New Delhi. “They have received some food supplies, but nothing more. They are living in tents and don’t know where to go.”
The prime minister, who returned from a state visit to Thailand on Saturday, the day the earthquake hit, has promised compensation payments of roughly US$1,000 (Dh3,673) to families who have lost people in the disaster. On Wednesday, he visited hospitals and schools, even as protesters demonstrated outside the parliament in Kathmandu, calling for more buses to help them return to their villages.
The government responded by requisitioning school buses to take people home.
However, Minendra Rijal, Nepal’s communications minister, admitted on Tuesday that there had been “some weaknesses in managing the relief operation”.
More reports of protests emerged on Wednesday from the village of Sangachowk, roughly three hours from Kathmandu, where residents blocked lorry convoys carrying food supplies.
"We have been given no food by the government," Udhav Giri, a Sangachowk villager, told Reuters. "Lorries carrying rice go past and don't stop. The district headquarters [Kathmandu] is getting all the food."
Nepal may also prove unable to handle any outbreaks of diseases that may follow the earthquake. According to a study by the World Health Organisation, the country of 28 million has only 2.1 doctors and roughly 50 hospital beds per 10,000 people.
The scale of the damage is partially a reflection of political divisions within Nepal, said Mr Nayak, the Nepal researcher. However, he said that the earthquake will likely only widen those divisions further.
Nepal’s monarchy was abolished in 2008, but the Maoists and their rival Nepali Congress party have been unable forge a new path towards constitutional democracy.
The country’s first constituent assembly — elected by popular vote and dominated by the Maoists — was intended to draft the new constitution, but was dissolved in 2012 because it was unable to reach a consensus.
The second constituent assembly, formed in 2013 and headed by the Nepali Congress, missed its January 22, deadline to create a draft of the constitution, introducing a high degree of instability into Nepal’s politics.
“The new date to promulgate the constitution was May 29, and I think Nepal may still make that deadline,” Mr Nayak said. “But it’s also possible that, because of this crisis, the whole thing may be pushed by a month or two.”
Once the constitution has been set in place, fresh elections will follow, Mr Nayak added. “When that happens, the Maoists will know how to take advantage of this present situation.”
“They will focus on the failures of this government to carry out rescue and rehabilitation smoothly,” he said. “They’re beginning to point at this already.”
As a result of the instability over the last few years, several political initiatives — including a National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management — have been stuck in limbo since 2008. A report prepared by the home ministry in 2013, outlining how Nepal’s buildings and infrastructure was vulnerable to earthquakes, was not acted upon either.
DB Koirala, the chairman of the Himalayan Rescue Association, a non-profit that works with the government to rescue unwell or injured climbers from Nepal’s mountains, said on Thursday that some unrest was creeping into Kathmandu.
“In the long run, though, I think the people will understand,” Mr Koirala said. “They will understand that this is a very big disaster, and that nothing can be done to alleviate this in a matter of days. It takes time.”
“The government is doing the best that it can,” he added.
ssubramanian@thenational.ae
Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
WHEN TO GO:
September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.
WHERE TO STAY:
Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
UAE group fixtures
Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran
Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait
Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE BIO
Ambition: To create awareness among young about people with disabilities and make the world a more inclusive place
Job Title: Human resources administrator, Expo 2020 Dubai
First jobs: Co-ordinator with Magrudy Enterprises; HR coordinator at Jumeirah Group
Entrepreneur: Started his own graphic design business
Favourite singer: Avril Lavigne
Favourite travel destination: Germany and Saudi Arabia
Family: Six sisters
RESULTS
Manchester United 2
Anthony Martial 30'
Scott McTominay 90 6'
Manchester City 0
RESULT
Valencia 3
Kevin Gameiro 21', 51'
Ferran Torres 67'
Atlanta 4
Josip Llicic 3' (P), 43' (P), 71', 82'
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
Bahrain%20GP
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mozn%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammed%20Alhussein%2C%20Khaled%20Al%20Ghoneim%2C%20Abdullah%20Alsaeed%20and%20Malik%20Alyousef%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Riyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Raed%20Ventures%2C%20Shorooq%20Partners%2C%20VentureSouq%2C%20Sukna%20Ventures%20and%20others%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ENGLAND SQUAD
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 720hp
Torque: 770Nm
Price: Dh1,100,000
On sale: now
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Seven%20Winters%20in%20Tehran
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%20%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Steffi%20Niederzoll%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Reyhaneh%20Jabbari%2C%20Shole%20Pakravan%2C%20Zar%20Amir%20Ebrahimi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
