Nepal's economy to worsen without global help

New Delhi

NEPAL'S economy was already slowing before a 7.8-magnitude earthquake killed at least 3,900 people from the capital Kathmandu to the unforgiving slopes of Mount Everest. Now, near-term growth is set to contract without the world's help.

"Kathmandu is central to the nation's economy, and it's crippled," Madhukar SJB Rana, a former finance minister, said on Sunday after spending the night outdoors amid countless aftershocks. "The extent of the impact depends both on the magnitude of the disaster but also on the resources and capacity to cope. We don't have that."

So far, about 3,900 people have died, a figure set to climb as rescuers continue to dig through rubble. The quake split roads, downed power lines, toppled buildings and triggered avalanc…