On Saturday, Apr. 25, Nepal was hit with the most devastating earthquake the nation has faced in the past 80 years. The resulting death toll has risen to over 4,000, and over 7,000 injuries have been reported.

According to the Washington Post, the epicenter of the earthquake was in scenic city Barpak, which is now completely flattened by the impact. Major parts of the country’s capital, Kathmandu, were destroyed as well, including many historic sites that had previously been standing for over 100 years, and many homes. Nepalese Army choppers have flown out to aid the various rural areas of the country that were hit the hardest and continued to experience devastating aftershocks after the fact. Outside of Nepal, USA Today reported over 61 earthquake-related deaths in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and China’s portion of Tibet.

“I have family in Nepal. My grandparents, great grandmother, uncles, aunts, and cousins [have been] directly impacted… thankfully they are all safe[,] but very terrified,” said senior Shaswot Sharma.

Sharma’s family was forced to stay in a tent after the earthquake ravaged their home. Over 100 aftershocks have been experienced since the initial event, leaving the family and many other Nepalese citizens very drained and in despair.

“Thousands [of people] died and many more are injured. Mount Everest had avalanches that affected the base camp, killing many people including tourists,” Sharma said.

Sharma believes that WJ should raise money to aid the people of Nepal, as they will need lots of international assistance in order to rebuild. He believes that even a small donation is enough to help the cause.

Since the earthquake hit, Dr. Samaj Gautam has been working in a Nepalese hospital, bringing aid to the thousands of injured civilians.

“The most worrying thing to me is the aftereffect,” Gautam said in a New York Times interview. “Sanitation, disease, these are also serious worries.”

This uncertainty over Nepal’s future is the greatest source of uneasiness among the Nepalese authorities and people. The remoteness of the country makes the movement of information difficult, spreading sympathy for Nepal around the globe.

“Nepal is famous for its unique temples, buildings and monuments. It’s very sad to see all that destroyed by the earthquake. Nepal is a small developing country and it will be very hard [for it] to get back from this disaster,” Sharma said.