S. Korea deploys mobile data, police to tackle nightlife cluster

Yahoo – AFP, May 12, 2020

Many nightclub customers are believed to be reluctant to come forward because of the
stigma surrounding homosexuality in the socially conservative country (AFP Photo/
Jung Yeon-je)

South Korean authorities said Tuesday they were using mobile phone data to trace Seoul nightclub visitors as they try to tackle a coronavirus cluster, promising anonymity to those being tested due to the stigma surrounding homosexuality.

The country has been held up as a global model in how to curb the virus, but a spike of new cases, driven by the cluster in venues in Seoul's Itaewon district -- including several gay clubs -- forced authorities to delay this week's planned re-opening of schools.

Many nightclub customers are believed to be reluctant to come forward because of the stigma surrounding homosexuality in the socially conservative country.

Seoul, as well as its neighbouring Gyeonggi province and the nearby city of Incheon, and the southern city of Daegu, have ordered the closure of all clubs and bars.

South Korea's handling of the initial coronavirus outbreak was widely praised, and how it deals with this latest spike will be closely watched as parts of Europe begin a cautious re-opening, where health experts are warning that moving too quickly will result in a surge in infection numbers.

Officials in the east Asian nation of 52 million announced 27 new cases Tuesday, taking its total to 10,936, after recording only single-digit increases for eight of the preceding 13 days -- many of them overseas arrivals.

As of noon Tuesday, 102 cases had been linked to the Itaewon cluster, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, up 16 in 24 hours, and the vast majority were men in their 20s and 30s.

Text messages

The city government of Seoul secured a list of 10,905 people who visited the district through data provided by mobile operators and has sent text messages asking them to get tested, said Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon.

The Korea Disaster Management Headquarters said nearly 2,000 people believed to have visited the clubs are currently unreachable, and thousands of police will be deployed to track them down.

Many nightclub customers are believed to be reluctant to come forward because 

of the stigma surrounding homosexuality in the socially conservative country (AFP 

Photo/Jung Yeon-je)

"The National Police Agency has established an operation system with 8,559 officers... to track down who cannot be identified through credit card information or data provided by mobile operators," said Yoon Tae-ho, the director of KDMH.

More than 7,000 people who have visited the area over the past two weeks have been tested, said Mayor Park -- who on Monday announced a 2 million won ($1,630) fine for those who avoid testing.

Test rates doubled after the city said it will ensure people's privacy by introducing anonymous testing, he added, but authorities still need more visitors to come forward.

People in face masks lined up for tests at a health centre in Itaewon Tuesday, keeping at least one metre (three feet) apart.

"A large number of confirmed cases were discovered in the Itaewon district, and since I live in the area I came to get tested just in case," Jeon Seung-ho, a 25-year-old musician, told AFP.

"I believe that the government should have encouraged the clubs to close down in the first place," he added.

Former K-pop star Park Gyuri admitted visiting one of the Itaewon clubs in early May and apologised for not following social distancing rules.

She tested negative but remains in self-isolation, her agency said in a statement.

Homosexuality is not illegal in South Korea, but rights groups say intolerance remains rampant.

KCDC vice director Kwon Joon-wook said "prejudice and discrimination" only impede prevention activities, urging the public not to blame virus patients.

Japan's emperor to step down in 200-year first

Yahoo – AFP, Richard CARTER, April 29, 2019

Akihito is waving goodbye to the throne, the first abdication in Japan for 200 years
(AFP Photo/Kazuhiro NOGI)

For the first time in more than 200 years, Japan's emperor will abdicate Tuesday, putting his son on the Chrysanthemum Throne and ushering in a new era for the world's oldest monarchy.

In a set of solemn ceremonies, Emperor Akihito will hand over to his eldest son, 59-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito, also kicking off the new imperial "Reiwa" era -- meaning "beautiful harmony" -- that will continue for the length of the new monarch's reign.

The historic abdication has resulted in an unprecedented 10-day holiday for the famously hard-working Japanese, as special days off to mark the new emperor combine with the traditional "Golden Week" celebrations in May.

At precisely 5:00 pm local time (0800 GMT), the 85-year-old Akihito will formally step down in a 10-minute ceremony in the "Matsu-no-Ma" ("Room of Pine"), considered the most elegant hall in the sumptuous Imperial Palace.

The ritual will be conducted in the presence of the imperial regalia -- an ancient sword and jewel -- considered crucial evidence of an emperor's legitimacy.

The Japanese monarchy stretches back for centuries (AFP Photo)

However, Naruhito will not become emperor of Japan until the stroke of midnight and he will "inherit" the regalia at a second ceremony Wednesday at 10:30 am before making his first official public remarks shortly afterwards.

The popular Akihito stunned Japan when he announced in 2016 that he wanted to give up the Chrysanthemum Throne, citing his age and health problems -- he has been treated for prostate cancer and has also undergone heart surgery.

There have been abdications in Japan's long imperial history, which has mythological origins and stretches back more than two millennia, but the last one was more than two centuries ago.

A more lavish and public enthronement ceremony attended by world leaders will take place on October 22.

'Ultra-aged society'

Akihito has sought to modernise the imperial family in Japan, which has a sensitive position given the role his father Hirohito played in the country's militaristic past.

Emperor Akihito and his wife Michiko won plaudits for a popular touch, notably 

comforting people affected by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown

that devastated whole swathes of east Japan and killed thousands (AFP Photo/

HIRO KOMAE)

He and his wife Empress Michiko won plaudits for a popular touch, notably comforting people affected by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown that devastated whole swathes of east Japan and killed thousands.

Images of the couple kneeling and bowing to those in temporary shelters gave some heart to the stricken nation and Akihito took the rare step of giving a televised address to reassure his people.

Naruhito is also seen as a modern royal and has previously issued mild criticism of the sometimes stifling lifestyle imposed on royals, particularly as his wife Masako has struggled to adapt to imperial life and has long struggled with stress-induced illness.

The new emperor inherits a country very different to when it last crowned a new emperor.

In 1989, when Akihito ascended the throne, Japan ruled the world economically in the middle of a technology-fuelled boom that caused soaring land prices and sparked wild cost comparisons: the Imperial Palace grounds were worth more than all of Canada.

Akihito's abdication has also reignited concerns about a potential 

succession crisis (AFP Photo)

Now, Japan's population is in decline and it is on course to become the world's first "ultra-aged" society, with 28 percent of people over 65.

The boom gave way to a "lost decade" of tepid economic growth and deflation from which Japan has not fully recovered -- GDP growth remains sluggish and a years-long battle to rekindle inflation with ultra-loose monetary policy has enjoyed limited success.

On the world stage, Japan has seen its role as Asian powerhouse usurped by a resurgent China and is a relative bystander even in global issues in its backyard such as North Korea.

The abdication has also reignited concerns about a potential succession crisis. There are no more eligible male heirs after the 12-year-old son of Naruhito's younger brother Akishino.

Japan's centuries-old succession would be broken if that son, Hisahito, does not have a male child. The idea of letting women ascend the throne is popular with Japanese, but vehemently opposed by traditionalists.

Ordinary Japanese have seized on the opportunity of a 10-day holiday to travel, with airports and bullet trains packed and roads jammed.

And the change of era has sparked a flurry of merchandise ranging from tee-shirts to a can of "Heisei" era air -- yours for a breeze at just under $10.

#UPDATE Emperor Akihito of Japan formally steps down, in the first abdication for 200 years in the world's oldest monarchy, as his son Naruhito prepares to take the Chrysanthemum Throne and usher in a new imperial era https://t.co/bClo5XnsBW

— AFP news agency (@AFP) 30 april 2019

Saudi, UAE send relief aid to flood-stricken Iran

Yahoo – AFP, April 18, 2019

Iranians carry sandbags to build barricades against flood water in the city
of Hamidiyeh, Khuzestan province (AFP Photo/ATTA KENARE)

Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi Arabia and the UAE have sent 95 tons of humanitarian aid to their rival Iran as it reels from deadly floods, officials said Thursday, after Tehran complained US sanctions were obstructing relief.

"The Saudi Red Crescent, as part of a joint Saudi-UAE initiative to alleviate the suffering of Iranian citizens, has dispatched a relief plane to Tehran with 95 tons of humanitarian aid to support those affected by floods," the official Saudi Press Agency said.

The aid, which includes food and shelter material, was authorised by Saudi Arabia's king and crown prince, it added.

The Emirates Red Crescent was also involved in the relief operation, the UAE's official WAM news agency said.

At least 76 people have died in Iran after torrential rainfall, which has also caused billions of dollars worth of damage since March 19.

Iran's Red Crescent has repeatedly complained that US banking sanctions re-imposed last year make it impossible to receive donations from outside the country.

US President Donald Trump last year withdrew Washington from a multilateral agreement on Iran's nuclear programme, later re-imposing sanctions focusing on oil exports and financial transactions.

Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia and Shiite-dominated Iran have a longstanding rivalry based as much on geostrategic interests as religious differences.

Facing off across the Gulf, the two major oil producers have taken opposing sides for decades in conflicts across the Middle East.

Riyadh broke off diplomatic relations with Tehran in 2016 in protest at the torching of its diplomatic missions by Iranian protesters angry over its execution of a leading Shiite cleric.

Eight rescued from Thai cave, but five remain trapped

Yahoo – AFP, Thanaporn PROMYAMYAI, Richard SARGENT, July 9, 2018

Thai soldiers walk out from the Tham Luang cave area as operations continue
for the 8 boys and their coach trapped inside (AFP Photo/YE AUNG THU)

Elite divers hauled four more young footballers out of a flooded Thai cave on Monday, authorities said, bringing to eight the number saved in a stunning rescue mission but still leaving five others trapped.

"Hooyah," the Thai Navy SEALs, who have played a crucial role in the against-the-odds operation, said in a Facebook post as they announced that a total of eight members of the "Wild Boars" football team had been rescued on Sunday and Monday.

Thais have been fixated on the crisis, hoping desperately for the safe return of the 12 boys and their 25-year-old football coach, after they ventured into the Tham Luang cave complex after practice and became trapped by rising waters more than a fortnight ago.

The extraction of the four on Monday followed a similar pattern to the previous day, with the youngsters emerging in quick succession just before nightfall after navigating a treacherous escape route of more than four kilometres (2.5 miles) that included extremely narrow and flooded tunnels.

Although the rescued eight were all presumed to be the boys, aged between 11 and 16, authorities did not reveal their identities nor confirm whether the coach remained inside the cave.

Asked if the remaining five would be shuttled out together, rescue operations chief Narongsak Osottanakorn said it was up to the divers whose meticulous plans, including stashing extra oxygen tanks along the route, are "set for four people, if we bring five we have to change the plan".

In a late-night press conference he also delivered a message from Thai premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha, a gruff former general:

"The Prime Minister wants this to be a lesson, this should not happen again in Thailand," Narongsak said.

The saga has dominated global headlines, with the team spending nine days unaccounted for inside the cave, before British divers found them -- emaciated and dishevelled -- huddling on a muddy bank above the flooding.

Diagram of the Tham Luang cave and facts on the operation to free a trapped 

football team. (AFP Photo/Gal ROMA)

Authorities then struggled to determine the best way to save the "Wild Boars", with the group stuck on a shelf above the floodwaters in pitch darkness.

Among the ideas were drilling an escape route through the mountain, or leaving them for months until the monsoon season ended and the flooding subsided.

But with oxygen levels inside dropping to dangerous lows and the prospect of heavy rains flooding the area completely, authorities decided they had to move quickly and take the group out through the water-filled tunnels.

Deadly dangers

Narongsak described Sunday's initial rescue bid as "D-Day" when it was launched, and there were fears that any one of many potential pitfalls could prove deadly.

Among these were that none of the boys had scuba diving experience, and that they could easily panic while swimming underwater across twisted passageways in darkness.

Dozens of foreign divers and other experts from around the world were brought in to help the rescue effort, working alongside the Thai Navy SEALs.

But the death of a former Thai Navy SEAL diver who ran out of oxygen in the cave on Friday underscored the danger of the journey.

The first successes on Sunday offered hope of a fairytale ending to the ordeal.

Rescue chief Narongsak on Sunday described their journey out, escorted by the elite divers, as "smooth".

A man offers food to Buddhist monks near the hospital where the boys rescued 

after being trapped in a nearby cave for nearly two weeks have been brought 

for observation (AFP Photo/TANG CHHIN Sothy)

Crucially, round-the-clock pumping to ease some of the flooding paid off and threatened heavy rains did not arrive.

That led an upbeat Narongsak to promise more "good news" on Monday afternoon that materialised a few hours later with the emergence of the other four.

But although the eight were rescued, there were concerns they may have contracted an illness while in the cave.

Narongsak said after the first four boys were rescued that they would be quarantined "for a while because we are concerned about infections".

And rain could still re-emerge as a threat for the remaining five, particularly if there are complications that could delay the extraction further.

Authorities have repeatedly said the rain could re-flood crucial parts of the cave complex that have been drained and make the escape route much harder or even impossible to navigate.

Weather forecasters warned heavy rain could hit the area through the week.

Premier Prayut visited the rescue base on Monday night to deliver his congratulations to all those involved, but also to offer a note of caution.

"Everyone should be proud. (But) the mission is not over yet," Prayut said.

Related Article:

All 12 boys and coach rescued from Thai cave

Li Keqiang pays respects to firefighters lost in Tianjin blasts

Want China Times, Xinhua 2015-08-17

Li Keqiang pays his respects to the firefighters confirmed to have died in the
 explosions, Aug. 16. Many other firefighters remain unaccounted for. (Photo/CNS)

Bowing to photos of the deceased firefighters, Premier Li Keqiang on Sunday paid respects to the young men who lost their lives in two massive warehouse blasts in the north China port city of Tianjin that have killed 112.

"They are all heroes and deserve the respect of the whole country," Li said while visiting a brigade of the Tianjin fire department.

At least 21 firefighters have been killed after two huge explosions tore through a warehouse in Tianjin's Binhai New Area late Wednesday night, and 85 other firefighters remain unaccounted for.

Li said all the dead — whether official firefighters or contractors — will enjoy the same posthumous honors and their families will be given the same compensation.

The premier also visited the firefighters and soldiers still racing against the clock to search for the missing people at the blast site, praising their valor and contributions. "When people's lives are at risk, you go to the rescue without fear or hesitation and make sacrifices," Li said. "The Party and the government thank you."

He asked them to ensure their own safety in their rescue work.

Li also led officials to stand in silent tribute to all the dead in the disaster before a meeting of the rescue headquarters.

The premier arrived in Tianjin Sunday afternoon. His first stop was the quarantined area, where he oversaw rescue, search and cleaning operations. He urged the continued search for the missing people and thorough elimination of dangerous remains of the exploded chemicals.

Li told the environmental staff to keep monitoring the environment around the clock and release accurate, authoritative environment information as the public are highly concerned about the air, water and soil quality around the blast site.

Li visited the temporary relocation site and demanded considerate services for the displaced citizens.

At hospitals, he promised the wounded the best medical resources. He also asked the medical staff to do their best to minimize fatalities and disabilities.

At the meeting on further rescue plan, Li ordered swift release of information concerning the explosions in order to let the public know the real picture in timely manner. No secondary accidents are allowed. "The accident has incurred heavy casualties and taught us an extremely painful lesson," the premier said at the meeting.

The investigation team set up by the State Council, China's cabinet, must find out the cause thoroughly and punish those with dereliction of duty severely, he said.

Li ordered a nationwide overhaul of work safety focusing on dangerous chemicals and inflammable materials.

Related Article:

China's police chief urges transparency on Tianjin blasts

Chinese prosecutors announce probe into deadly warehouse blasts

Chinese prosecutors are to probe whether deadly blasts at a warehouse in Tianjin were due to illegal storage of dangerous materials, state media say. The explosions killed 112 people and injured hundreds.

Deutsche Welle, 16 Aug 2015

State prosecutors in China said on Sunday they had started an investigation to see whether owners of the warehouse where the explosions occurred were guilty of violating laws on the storage of hazardous chemicals.

The announcement comes as authorities confirmed that hundreds of tons of the toxic chemical sodium cyanide had been on the site of the blasts late Wednesday evening in a mostly industrial area of the northern port city of Tianjin, 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of Beijing.

Such a large amount would be a clear violation of rules cited by state media that a maximum of 10 tons of the chemical may be stored at any one time. Chinese laws on hazmat storage also stipulate that such substances should not be kept closer than 1 kilometer from residential areas and public structures.

The Chinese military is helping with cleanup operations

Sodium cyanide can form a flammable gas upon contact with water, and members of the public have questioned whether this fact had been taken into account by firefighters responding to the accident. At least 21 firefighters were among those killed in the warehouse fire and ensuing explosions, making the disaster the deadliest for the Chinese fire brigade in more than six decades.

Eighty-five of the 1,000 firefighters sent to combat the blaze remained unaccounted for on Sunday, with 88 bodies of victims still unidentified.

In addition to the 112 people confirmed dead, more than 700 people were hospitalized with sometimes serious injuries. Many were hurt by glass shattered in the huge fireballs that rose over the city on Wednesday night.

The explosions caused massive
blast waves

Official reassurances

In the face of internet rumors to the contrary, authorities have sought to reassure the public that the air in Tianjin remains safe to breathe, despite slightly raised levels of some pollutants.

In a bid to further dispel public mistrust, the Chinese premier Li Keqiang arrived in the city on Sunday afternoon and came within a kilometer of the blast site without wearing any form of protective clothing.

Li also visited those injured and displaced by the disaster.

The government has also shut down a total of 50 websites and 360 social media accounts for "creating panic by publishing unverified information or letting users spread groundless rumors," according to the Cyberspace Administration of China.

The Tianjin accident was one of the deadliest to occur in China in recent years. In June 2013, a fire at a poultry plant in the northeastern province of Jilin killed 121 people. In August 2014, 97 died in an explosion at a metal plant in eastern Jiangsu province.

tj/sgb (AP, dpa, AFP)

Related Article:

Deadly cyanide was stocked at Tianjin blast site

Chemical experts assess China blast site after 50 killed

Saudi Prince Alwaleed pledges $32 bn fortune to charity

Yahoo – AFP, Ian Timberlake, 1 July 2015

Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal answers questions during a 2011 press

conference in Riyadh (AFP Photo/Fayez Nureldine)

Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi tycoon Prince Alwaleed bin Talal on Wednesday promised his entire $32 billion (28.8 billion euro) fortune to charitable projects in coming years, in one of the biggest ever such pledges.

The pledge is "maybe... the first such big announcement" of its kind in the region, and is modelled on a charity established by Microsoft founder Bill Gates in the United States, the prince told reporters.

Alwaleed said his charity "will help build bridges to foster cultural understanding, develop communities, empower women, enable youth, provide vital disaster relief and create a more tolerant and accepting world."

The money "will be allocated according to a well-devised plan throughout the coming years", he said, but stressed there was no time limit for the donation to be spent.

Alwaleed said he would head a board of trustees tasked with spending the funds, which would still be used after his death "for humanitarian projects and initiatives".

The 60-year-old magnate belongs to the Saudi royal family and is a nephew of king Abdullah, who died on January 23.

In the conservative Muslim kingdom, Alwaleed, who holds no government rank, is unusual for his high profile and periodic comments about economic issues.

"We are clearly in very close coordination with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation", which is already working with Alwaleed on a polio eradication project, he said.

"This is very much separate from my ownership in Kingdom Holding," and there should be no impact on the publicly listed company's share price, Alwaleed told reporters on the 66th-floor headquarters of the firm which he chairs.

'Dramatic and drastic'

But he said his charitable commitment would provide even more incentive for his business investments to be profitable.

As well as media stakes, Kingdom Holding has interests ranging from the Euro Disney theme park to Four Seasons hotels and Citigroup.

Alwaleed is constructing a tower in the Red Sea city of Jeddah that is to rise more than one kilometre (almost 3,300 feet) to be the world's tallest building.

Earlier this year, he opened a pan-Arab news channel in Bahrain but authorities there shut the station after less than 24 hours on air and a new home is being sought.

Alwaleed last week in Paris signed a letter of intent with France's CDC International Capital to create the first French-Saudi investment fund, worth up to $400 million.

A separate deal saw a French consortium and CDC IC invest about $150 million in Kingdom Holding.

Alwaleed told reporters he has already donated a total of $3.5 billion over more than 35 years through his Alwaleed Philanthropies.

The charity has distributed houses and provided electricity to isolated Saudi communities, while supporting other projects around the world.

He said he announced his pledge now, after years of preparation, to institutionalise the process "so they can continue after my lifetime".

Flanked by his son Prince Khaled and daughter Princess Reem, he said they will be president and vice-president of the charity after he dies.

"I believe that a person should take dramatic and drastic decisions at his peak," Alwaleed said, proclaiming himself to be in good shape.

"I'm very healthy, enough to bike every day three hours," he said. "I assure you my health is good."

Tim Cook is one of many high-profile business people in the US, including

 Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Warren Buffet, in giving at least 50% of their

wealth to charity. Photograph: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

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Mounting anger over Nepali government's disaster management

As relief teams struggle to reach remote villages in quake-hit Nepal, anger and frustration at the slow pace of aid delivery are growing in the Himalayan nation, with some using the discontent to score political points.

Deutsche Welle, 4 May 2015

"The government's response was late, so that created a vacuum while delivering immediate aid. After learning that remote villages had received no government assistance for days, people in Nepal started to get increasingly angry."

These are words of journalist and Kathmandu-resident Shiwani Neupane speaking to DW about the reasons behind the growing public discontent in Nepal over the government's handling of relief efforts some 10 days after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck an area between the densely populated Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, and the city of Pokhar on April 25.

The massive quake - the worst to hit the landlocked South Asian nation in more than 80 years - killed more than 7,200 people and wounded over 14,300, according to government figures. The death toll is likely to jump once relief teams reach mountain villages flattened near the epicenter.

The UN estimates eight million people - nearly a third of Nepal's population - may have been affected by the earthquake across 39 of the country's 75 districts, with at least 2 million people needing tents, water, food and medicines over the next three months.

The earthquake was the worst to
hit Nepal in more than 80 years

"We are still having problems getting things to people in very remote areas," Orla Fagan, a spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told DW. "There is no physical land access to these areas in most cases and we are therefore looking at a wider array of alternative ways to get supplies to people in the most remote areas."

Many mountain roads remain blocked by landslides so helicopters and aircraft are particularly needed to reach those in remote mountain villages. In this context, the UN welcomed the fact that a US Air Force C-17 aircraft and four tilt-rotor Ospreys landed in Kathmandu.

"They offer us the opportunity to drop off aid relief at pre-determined points. We know there currently are 14 highly-affected districts facing these limitations," Fagan said, adding that she hopes aid can reach all areas before the end of the week.

Growing frustration

In the meantime, homeless and bereaved survivors of the disaster are growing increasingly angry and frustrated over the pace of the rescue. They accuse the government of being too slow to distribute international aid that has flooded into the country and of leaving them stranded in remote areas waiting in desperate need of temporary shelters against the rain and cold.

"Fear and anger is also being directed towards the government due to perceived corruption in the distribution of aid," said journalist Neupane.

Last week, over 200 Nepalis protested outside parliament in Kathmandu, demanding the government increase the number of buses going to the interior hills and improve distribution of aid.

According to George Varughese, Nepal country representative for The Asia Foundation, this level of anger is justified from the victims' perspective for a number of reasons. "Many have seen or heard their loved ones die for want of timely rescue and treatment. Others remain hungry in far-flung areas and are at risk. Information is simply not flowing to and from affected areas," Varughese told DW.

The Kathmandu resident argues the government is being viewed as unhelpful because of its tendency to issue bureaucratic edicts about who may help and how- in the name of coordination and transparency - rather than being viewed as a kinetic facilitator and force multiplier of all relief providers.

"We are seeing that the Nepali government has a couple of bottlenecks in terms of delivering aid. They have neither a useful fast-track system for importing relief materials nor a useful system for receiving and warehousing relief materials," he told DW. As a result, relief materials are piled up in transit airports or border crossings.

Distribution problems

In fact, Nepal recently faced criticism for holding up foreign relief deliveries at customs, with reports of aid trucks being turned away at the border with India because they did not have the correct documentation. Then there are problems in terms of distributing relief materials once they are in the country. In most remote areas, only helicopters are effective and Nepal has very few of them.

But in order to fully comprehend the government's ability to respond, one also needs to take into account the country's political and economic situation. With a total annual GDP of $20 billion last year, and an annual per capita GDP of only $1,000, Nepal has an extremely limited capacity to fund disaster relief and long-term reconstruction efforts.

And then there is the issue of political instability which has affected the country in recent years. In 2008, more than a decade after it started, a communist insurgency led to the overthrow of the monarchy. Since then, the nation has faced a political paralysis as the main political parties have failed to agree on a constitution, triggering civil unrest across the country and affecting Nepal's disaster preparedness.

Nepal has very few helicopters to
distribute relief materials

"In 2008, Nepal finalized its National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management, but the fractured political situation since then has prevented substantial progress towards implementation of, for example, more rigorous governance of building practices or wide-spread public awareness activities," Alison Evans, senior Asia Analyst at IHS.

'A matter of great shame'

Nevertheless, given the growing level of public discontent, opposition parties appear keen on capitalizing on the crisis by attacking the government of Prime Minister Sushil Koirala. Last week, Dinanath Sharma, a spokesman for Nepal's Maoists, was quoted by the Wall Street Journal as saying that Koirala had acted too slowly and was "showing an insensitive attitude at this time of great national loss."

Sharma added that the fact that Nepal was relying on relief assistance from India, China, the US and other countries instead of being able to take care of itself "is a matter of great shame."

Siegfried O. Wolf, a director of research at Brussels-based South Asia Democratic Forum (SADF), believes that given the magnitude of the disaster and the slow pace of the government-led relief efforts, there is a chance that the Maoists could capitalize on the crisis and stage a major comeback, at least politically.

"We should keep in mind that the epicenter of the recent earthquake was in the country's northwest, not too far from the capital Kathmandu - an area in which the Maoist movement has enjoyed a significant support base for the past two decades. In this context, it is worrisome that this part of Nepal still feels neglected by the central government," Wolf told DW.

Political implications

However, Varughese points out that the opposition parties have been equally sluggish to respond to the disaster and that it took them a full eight days after the quake to approach donors and international NGO's for funds to conduct their own relief operations.

The quake caused widespread destruction
 affecting about eight million people, the
UN says

So what political impact will the quake devastation have? As Varughese explains, it is hard to tell because none of the political parties have credible claim to being more effective at governance; so instead of the toppling of the current coalition, we can imagine a national unity government emerging to handle the relief efforts, with the UCPN (Maoist) and Madhesi parties joining the government.

Journalist Neupane, however, believes this is unlikely to happen in the coming months given the current strong public distrust directed at all political parties. This may also further delay the constitution-drafting process, she underlined. "But if the parties understand the sentiment of Nepali people at all, they may try and re-build their image. This is actually a very good time for them to do so."

Analyst Evans also points out that continued failure to agree on a new constitution would only prolong the country's political deadlock, which is "likely to hinder efforts to swiftly and effectively respond to this current disaster as well as efforts to enact policies in the next few years that would limit similarly widespread loss of life in the future."

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