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The full extent of Nepal's devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake is still coming to light one week later. The United Nations has asked for more support for the rescue attempts. Only $53 million of the $415 million promised has been given. The capital Kathmandu is having difficulties with the scale of the destruction. Whole towns along the length of the Kathmandu Valley have been flattened. Hundreds of thousands of homes across this poor Himalayan nation have been destroyed. More than three million people are sheltering under blue tarpaulins and in need of food and medicine.

Nepal’s Prime Minister has admitted that his government is overwhelmed by the size of the disaster. He requested helicopters to help deliver aid. It is difficult to deliver aid because of the country's rugged terrain. Many of the roads have been swept away by avalanches and landslides. Making the problem worse is the fact that Kathmandu's international airport has only one runway. This is slowing down the delivery of much-needed supplies. The U.N. World Food Program warned that it would take time for aid to reach more remote communities.