article_snippet.sent: So you can imagine the indescribable sadness I experienced waking up this morning and seeing the news reports that Nepal had been hit by Nepal worst earthquake since 1934, when more than 10,000 people were killed.
article_snippet.sent: While casualty accounts following the magnitude-7.8 quake Saturday are still difficult to confirm -- hardly surprising considering that communication lines have been severely disrupted -- estimates we are hearing from the ground are already placing the number lost in the thousands, with the official toll now at around 1,500 expected to keep growing as the hours and days pass.
article_snippet.sent: The fact that the epicenter of the magnitude-7.8 quake Saturday was so close to the capital of Kathmandu, where the majority of Nepal's citizens reside, makes the situation even more dire.
article_snippet.sent: Compounding this very serious problem will be the difficulty in ensuring that those affected have access to clean water in the coming days; Nepal already had one of the lowest standards of sanitation in the world before the magnitude-7.8 quake Saturday.
article_snippet.sent: Only the oldest Nepalese will remember the last major earthquake, so the psychological toll for the majority of Nepal will be a significant and ongoing concerning for We as We and other agencies launch We response.
highlights_snippet.sent: A magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck near Kathmandu, Nepal .
  