World Bank announces $500mln for Nepal's rebuilding
世界银行宣布捐赠5亿美元助尼泊尔重建

The World Bank says it will provide up to 500 million US dollars for reconstruction projects in quake-hit Nepal -- but the country says it needs much more than that, to fully recover from the disaster.

Two separate earthquakes, which struck in April and May, left nearly 9000 people dead, and hundreds of thousands of buildings damaged or destroyed.

Thousands are still reliant on handouts for food, clean water and shelter. The Nepalese government says the country needs around 6.7 billion US dollars to recover from the disaster - that's roughly a third of its total economy.

The money from the World Bank will help to fund rural housing and the country's banking system, among other things.

Nepal has invited diplomats from several countries to take part in a one-day conference in Kathmandu on Thursday, to appeal directly for more funds.