Nepal aid effort falters, stoking anger in tent cities

Rishav Marasini has survived the worst earthquake to hit Nepal in decades. He is living in a tent in Kathmandu's Dasarath Stadium, and his future is unclear, as his house has "cracked in two". But his focus right now is on Irish cricket.

“You are from the land of Kevin O’Brien!” he says, thrusting a plank of wood in my hand and appointing Roshan, his brother, as wicket keeper.

Despite the energy of the youngsters, in the tent cities springing up around Kathmandu anger is growing over what is seen as the government's failure to provide food and shelter for those affected by the crisis.

Villagers and townspeople have blocked trucks carrying supplies for earthquake victims, urging the government to do more to help after Saturday’s earthquake.

According to Nepal's home ministry, the number of confirmed deaths has risen to more than 5,000, with almost 10,000 injured in Nepal, and more than 80 also dead in India and Tibet. Tens of thousands have been left homeless and short of food and water.

Hundreds protested outside the parliament building, calling for more buses and trucks to go to their homes in the remoter areas of the Himalayan nation.

Gopal Dhital, a student living in Dasarath Stadium, said that what help was coming was not being distributed.

“The leaders put them in their own stores. It’s not being utilised in the proper place. The VIPs are not caring for us. They do nothing to help the poor people,” said Dhital. “They told me to go home, that nothing was possible. This is always the problem in Nepal, not just today.”

Pointing at soldiers handing out instant noodles and bottles of water, he said: “They have only just arrived, and they will be gone soon.”

Nepal’s minister of information and communications, Minendra Rijal, said that half a million tents were urgently needed.

“Life is returning to normal, but it will be some time to be completely normal,” he said.