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                 Nepal Begins Reconstruction of Heritage Sites

   by VOA News

   Nepal has begun reconstruction of ancient key temples and monuments,
   including a [1]UNESCO heritage site, that were damaged in a massive
   earthquake quake one year ago.

   Nepali officials say it will take years to fully restore the South
   Asian country's architectural heritage and rebuild 600,000 homes
   destroyed in the magnitude-7.8 quake that upended roads in the country
   and turned mountain villages into rubble.

   Memorial services for the nearly 9,000 who died in the earthquake were
   held Sunday, alongside demonstrations against the slow pace of the
   Nepalese recovery.

   ''International donors have pledged $4.1 billion toward Nepal's
   recovery, but only $1.3 billion has been sent to the country, with the
   government blamed for taking months to set up the National
   Reconstruction Authority.

   "Government, where is reconstruction?" the protesters chanted as they
   tried to force their way into government offices.  "Open the gates of
   the government."

   "We are hoping that the government's priorities and perspectives on
   reconstruction will soon be clear so that we can help people to rebuild
   and get their lives back on track as quickly as possible," one Red
   Cross official in Nepal said.

   The Red Cross says four million people are living in shelters.

   Homeless survivors have been promised about $2,000 in aid, but only
   several hundred have received the first $500 installment.
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   [2]http://www.voanews.com/content/nepal-begins-reconstruction-of-herita
   ge-sites/3301288.html

References

   1. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/
   2. http://www.voanews.com/content/nepal-begins-reconstruction-of-heritage-sites/3301288.html