Getting aid to devastated Nepal countryside no small task
More than 6,600 people are known to be dead and more than 14,000 injured from the earthquake that struck one week ago in Nepal.
Nepal's government is pleading for international donors to send tents, tarps and food. U.S. Marines are arriving to help with the relief effort. Nepal's capital suffered extensive damage, but conditions are much worse in the Himalayan countryside. CBS News' Seth Doane reports from Kathmandu.
Getting aid to those in need is a challenge in the country of small airports and winding, country roads. Up in the mountains of Nepal on bumpy dirt paths, it's clear how difficult it is getting aid into those remote regions.
CBS News' crew had to abandon its van and walk the rest of the way to the devastated village of Ranipani.
Ranuka Acharya and her family are trying to salvage bricks so they can eventually rebuild their home.
"We are so tired, and the pace of work is slow," Acharya said.
The U.N. figures more than 130,000 homes have been destroyed across Nepal.
The villagers said they have not seen any aid at all. They do not need food; they say they can grow that. What they do need in the short term is tents and shelter as they've lost so many homes. With the rainy season approaching, ultimately they need help rebuilding.
Surendra Acharya said he was shocked to see his family home in ruins.
"I leave my college and then come here to help my family," Acharya said.
He estimates it will take more than three or four years to rebuild. Before last week's earthquake, he'd wanted to study abroad, but for now his future is on hold. His family is his top priority.
"I just say, 'You don't need to worry, it's not our problem, it's our whole nation's problem,'" Acharya said.
The country is struggling to get back to normal, though there are some encouraging signs like stores opening, street vendors selling things like fruit and more ATMs open as electricity starts to come back online in some parts of Kathmandu.
One of the biggest signs is that the giant tent cities that popped up after the earthquake are getting smaller as people are starting to go back to their homes.