The United States let in about 15000 Nepali Earthquake refugees. It has been 3 years and the remaining 9000 still in the USA have been given their one year notice that they must return. Usually, 4 years is enough time to recover from a disaster and people can go home.
I don't think the USA government knows how inept and corrupt Nepal is and these people still don't have a home to come home to. Over 1/4 of the US Senators are lobbying the President to stop the clock and allow the refugees to stay longer since Nepalis are unable to take care of themselves like people in other countries.
Add this development to the stopping of the lottery program and it is getting impossible for Nepalis to emigrate.
It is fascinating watching them rebuild. Rebar? Rebar is for sissies! Next earthquake: shake, rattle, and fall!
United States Returning 9000 Nepali Earthquake Refugees
Less than 24 hours ago, CNN announced that US Homeland Security had cancelled protection for those 9000 nepali immigrants. Nepalis are not the only ones, as the US had similarly cancelled residency permits in much greater numbers for other nationalities too - notably 200,000 Salvadorans and 50,000 Haitians, which country also suffered natural disasters in previous years.
Looks like these unfortunate nepalis are sadly caught between the devil and the deep blue sea for the very good and lucid reasons you so clearly point to, when you write:
1. On the one hand, Nepalis are totally unable to take care of themselves
2. And on the other, their own government are so inept and corrupt, they can't get their act together. Reconstruction of homes has barely started (15%) and this, despite millions if not billions of foreign assistance given over 3 years ago now. Hardly a good state of affairs.
Press report just out reminds us that following the 2015 earthquake, the US took the lead among nations to grant Nepal special earthquake relief, recovery and reconstruction assistance amounting to 190,000,000 US dollars. It's no secret that reconstruction here has gone at a snail's pace and the report makes no mention as to whether or not that sum has been fully allocated to bona fide applicants, three years later.
As for nepali youths going the other way - leaving Nepal in search of jobs abroad - last time it was reported, this was happening at the rate of 1,500 per day. Very sobering.
There are a lot of hurdles to rebuilding Nepal. However, rather than sending a lot of money, the US sent 3 fancy helicopters and one crashed. I think the US government must be calling that loss as an expense for Nepal.
I never saw anything from the US except for rebuilding one of the temples in our village, but I don't think that was so much money.
There is a lot of building just about everywhere. It's difficult and slow when most of the carrying is done by women with bamboo baskets on their backs.
The government has allotted money to landowners and about 30 politicians are in jail or have absconded with money they've stolen. Many government employees are shaking in their boots because the good ole days of cash grabbing are over.
I'm an American so I was looking to see what my country had given. China and India and Europe helped a lot. Kudos to Germany and Netherlands for helping so much. US, not so much except for the helicopters. I was here living outside on the hilltop with my neighbors; I saw it all happening.
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