On April 25, 2015, a magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck Nepal, unleashing an avalanche on nearby Mount Everest and sending reverberations across neighboring countries India, Tibet and Bangladesh. Another tremor struck a nearby region in the country less than three weeks later, bringing down buildings and loose debris on hills that had been rendered unstable by the first quake.
Nearly 9,000 people died and over half a million houses were destroyed as a result of the two earthquakes, making the disasters the deadliest to ever hit the earthquake-prone nation.
A year later, the country is taking steps toward recovery. Images shot shortly after the April 25 earthquake, contrasted with the same spaces photographed in February 2016, show the little progress that's been made.
Tilting, unstable buildings have been taken down. Deserted streets are being used once again, and the rubble of collapsed structures has mostly been cleared.
The country's reconstruction efforts have been slow, and victims have not received enough help. One year after the tragedies, less than 5 percent of displaced families have rebuilt their homes, The Kathmandu Post noted Monday. About 3 million people still live in temporary shelters with tarpaulin roofs, which are unlikely to protect inhabitants from wind and rain as monsoon season approaches in June.
Although international donors pledged $4 billion in aid last spring, the government has received just $1.28 billion, according to The Associated Press. The country took months to set up its National Reconstruction Authority, and Nepali daily newspaper The Himalayan Times says the authority has only just finalized a list of beneficiaries in the country's worst-hit areas who would receive grants to rebuild their homes.
On Monday, Nepali Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli pledged to expedite the country's rebuilding process, and announced the start of reconstruction of some major heritage sites in and around Kathmandu.
Take a look at more images from before and after the earthquakes below.
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