Nepal seeks support restoring heritage after quake

By Hasan Oymez

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AA) – In the aftermath of the worst earthquake to hit the Himalayan nation in close to a century, Nepal is seeking the international community's help in restoring its cultural heritage.

The April 2015 earthquake killed more than 8,000 people and injured over 19,000 while causing the complete collapse of historical sites including temples, the iconic Durbar squares – Newari Kingdom-era palatial plazas – and the 19th century Dharara tower in central Kathmandu.

Nepal's government has struggled to restore the cultural sites, including some of the most important Hindu and Buddhist temples, in the last year-and-a-half and needs increased support from the U.N.'s cultural agency UNESCO.

People have also continued to live in thousands of light and moderately damaged buildings that are still at risk of collapsing in the event of another earthquake, which could also cause further damage to the historic temples that attract Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims from neighboring countries as well as foreign tourists.