Overview
Nepal is one of the poorest countries in Asia; a quarter of the population still live in absolute poverty. Among the challenges Nepal faces are a widening gap between the rich and poor and a lack of basic infrastructure – including electricity, water and transport provision. There is also widespread unemployment, low agricultural productivity, a high level of migration and endemic corruption.
A decade-long civil war, which ended in 2006, has pushed the nation even further back into poverty. Meanwhile, Nepal is particularly vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and landslides.
In 2015, two massive earthquakes struck the region, killing nearly 8,000 people and making Nepal even more vulnerable to future disasters.