The rare budget surplus is a notable achievement after years of crisis. Yet the slow conversion of reconstruction allocations into actual rebuilding underscores that fiscal numbers alone do not tell the full story of recovery.
Even as relief plans are underway, many warn that rebuilding will not just require bricks and mortar – but a renewed social contract that can lay the foundations for more inclusive and resilient growth.
The UN appeal comes at a moment when humanitarian funding is already stretched by multiple crises. While CERF has provided rapid support, broader donor commitments remain insufficient relative to the scale of projected need.
South Asia’s lead crisis is not inevitable. Experience elsewhere demonstrates that decisive regulation, industrial formalisation and community-level interventions can sharply reduce exposure.
The UN appeal comes at a moment when humanitarian funding is already stretched by multiple crises. While CERF has provided rapid support, broader donor commitments remain insufficient relative to the scale of projected need.