India and China pledged nearly $1.5 billion in aid for earthquake reconstruction in impoverished Nepal on Thursday, as the Asian giants try to help it back on its feet and expand influence in the buffer state.
Two quakes, on April 25 and May 12, killed 8,832 people, injured more than 22,000 and forced tens of thousands into temporary shelters. Nepal's government has estimated the cost of recovery at over $6.6 billion, equivalent to one third of its gross domestic product. India offered $1 billion and Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj told a donors' conference that a quarter would be in the form of grants and was over and above India's existing aid pledges to Nepal. The rest would be loans.Also speaking at the conference, Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende pledged a support of 200 million Norwegian Krone to Nepal, and expressed that the funding will increase later.
