Patan, Lalipur, Nepal. On a busy street, a resident is sitting on the debris of the deadly earthquake 6 months ago. 01.11.15
Kathmandu Durbar Square, Nepal. A female devotee pays tribute to Kal Bhairav, a stone image of Hindu deity Shiva in his destructive representation. Kathmandu Durbar Square has been declared safe, but the clean-up and reconstruction efforts have been slow due to lack of infrastructure and resources. 02.11.15
A UNESCO World Heritage site, Kathmandu Durbar Square is still in ruins 6 months after the earthquake. Life and commerce have resumed, but only precariously. 02.11.15
Early morning, a female resident prays in ruins at Kathmandu Durbar Square, Nepal. 02.11.15
Kathmandu Durbar Square, Nepal. The temple of Maju Dega (right) and Narayan Temple (left) were completely destroyed by the earthquake, and reconstruction efforts are still in progress. 02.11.15
Rub Bahadur Thapa, 78(right), and Echha Kumari Thapa, 70, live in a remote village in Bhanu, Tanahun District, Nepal. Traumatized by the earthquake and aftershocks, they are too afraid to sleep in their house. Instead they sleep in a small barn with a makeshift tinplate roof. 28.10.15
Students wait for visitors in a classroom made of bamboo tree and tarpaulin
canopy during a recess at Mangal Bhairav Primary School on a mountain top, Katarche, Syaule, Sindhupalchok District, Nepal. 04.11.15
Students at Kavresthali Secondary School north of Kathmandu plant a pole in the playground. The school was completely destroyed by the earthquake. UNICEF came to rescue and built temporary classrooms. 03.11.15
The temporary classrooms built by UNICEF were not weather proof, and a local NGO built 4 additional classrooms with corrugated tin and tarp. 03.11.15
Hundreds queue in line for gas rationing at Balaju Industrial District, Kathmandu, Nepal. The average wait time is 3-4 days for half a tank of gas. 03.11.15
For the past two months, thousands of cargo trucks carrying fuel and goods have been held at the border by Indian officials, causing long lines at fuel stations and suppliers. 03.11.15
Sajba Oil Store, Patan, Lalipur, Nepal. As the fuel shortage and the subsequent waiting continue, a sense of frustration and resignation is pervasive among residents in Nepal. 05.11.15
After 3 days of waiting, motorists refuel at Mahalaxmi Fuel Station, Kathmandu, Nepal, one of many state-run petrol stations. Due to the fuel shortage, petrol prices in the black market have spiked five times the normal price. 05.11.15
Candles are lit in a restaurant at Thamel district, Kathmandu, Nepal. Power outages are frequent due to the fuel shortage, and solar generators barely power dim fluorescent lights. 02.11.15
An apartment complex under construction in Patan, Lalipur, Nepal. Once a place of desire, the popularity of apartment complexes decreased significantly after the earthquake. 01.11.15
Park View Horizon is a luxury high rise building in Kathmandu, boasting 17 stories and a view of the Himalayas. After the earthquake, it was structurally damaged and its residents were evacuated. Horizon is one of the two buildings in Kathmandu that were given a red notice: it calls for major repair work or demolition of the building. 05.11.15
Temporary tinplate housing, Goldhunga Village, Kathmandu District, Nepal. Those who lost their houses to the earthquake have scrambled their lives around temporary housings across Nepal. 03.11.15
In the mountainous Sindhupalchok district, four-fifths of homes have been destroyed or heavily damaged. Temporary housings are prevalent. 04.11.15
Local residents chisel and collect bricks to recycle them inside an abandoned and tilted house in Melchour, Sindhupalchowk District, Nepal. Sindhupalchowk was one of the worst hit areas during the earthquake with more than 3000 casualties: about one-third of the total. 04.11.15
TV with static signal at a house in Kavresthali, Kathmandu District, Nepal. 03.11.15

Crisis in Nepal

Half a year after the deadly earthquake of 2015, Nepal is facing a fuel and housing crisis. The ethnic Madhesi minority in the border region has been staging violent protests over its representation in Nepal’s new constitution, and India is imposing an unofficial blockade over safety concerns. Fuel and goods cargos have all but halted at the border. Antagonism against India is high due to what is perceived as political interference and manifested as the hashtag #BackoffIndia on social media. Hundreds queue in line for 3-4 days to get petrol and profane gas, and the blockade is disrupting Nepal’s already stretched reconstruction efforts and affecting average Nepali people with price hikes and lack of general necessities. Medical supplies are dwindling and some Nepalis are turning to firewood for cooking.

According to the UN, the earthquake destroyed approximately 600,000 houses and damaged 290,000 houses in Nepal. Aid groups warn that temporary housings made with corrugated tin and tarp will be inadequate in cold weather, especially in higher altitudes. Among the affected, it is estimated that 400,000 Nepalis live at elevations of 1,500 meters (4,920 feet) or higher. Children and the elderly would be most vulnerable in these conditions. As a result of these difficulties, Nepal is on the brink of a humanitarian crisis.

My photos from the troubled country are now available through my agency laif Agentur für Photos und Reportagen and its partner Redux Pictures.