Year-long delays leave Nepal quake survivors in temporary shelters ahead of Dashain

Nearly three years after the November 2023 quake centered at Ramidanda in Barekot Rural Municipality-1, households in Jajarkot, Rukum West and Salyan continue to occupy temporary shelters. Local governments have started identifying eligible families, signing grant contracts and requesting the first instalment of reconstruction assistance, yet most have not begun rebuilding permanent homes. In Bheri Municipality, 318 households are deemed eligible and a request has been made for 52 houses, while Junichande Rural Municipality has signed agreements for 178 families; Nalgad Municipality still needs to verify over 500 listings.

The first instalment of Rs50,000 per household has been released to 188 families in Bheri, totalling Rs9.4 million, but many remain in limbo due to incomplete damage assessments and slow verification. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reports more than 40,000 beneficiaries across the districts, and the District Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee has urged agencies to accelerate the process. As the Dashain festival approaches, residents like Nar Bahadur BK express anxiety over uncertain housing prospects.