New Zealand

Nepal fundraising efforts reach $1.5m

07:01 am on 8 May 2015

New Zealanders have donated more than $1.5 million to help those recovering from the earthquake in Nepal.

According to the UN, 600,000 houses have been destroyed or damaged. Photo: Guillaume Payen / NurPhoto

Almost two weeks on from the disaster, which killed more than 7600 people, donations made online continue to pour in.

The New Zealand Red Cross has raised more than $1 million from the public, and more than $500,000 has been donated through Givealittle, the fastest and most generous response to an international disaster the fundraising site has experienced.

The New Zealand Government has pledged a further $2 million, with $1 million of that supporting accredited New Zealand non-government organisations on a matched-funding basis.

However, the world's governments are failing to stump up as much cash as Nepal requires.

The United Nations has requested US$415 million in emergency funds from its member states, but, in the two weeks since the earthquake, said just US$22.4 million had been received.

It explained the poor response by saying more than a dozen other long-running international crises, such as the conflicts in Iraq and Syria, are making demands on donor nations.