Pokhara, Nepal - At Pokhara airport in the Himalayas, Indian soldiers race back and forth loading rice, blankets, tarpaulins and other aid onto waiting helicopters for delivery to Nepal's quake-devastated villages.
In the ruined ancient town of Bhaktapur outside the capital Kathmandu, Chinese rescuers in blue uniforms search for survivors in the rubble of toppled temples and homes.
Nepal's overwhelmed government has been criticised by frustrated residents, hundreds of thousands of whom are desperate for assistance after Saturday's monster quake.
But foreign countries, with their medics, specialist rescuers and helicopter sorties, have won applause, with giant neighbour India sometimes singled out for praise as the biggest provider.
"We are hungry, we have no food, and we've had no help from our own government," Arjun Budhathoki, 30, said as he queued, along with thousands of others, for a bus out of Kathmandu this week.
"The Indian government is the only one helping our citizens, they are doing so much for us," Budhathoki said.
India and economic powerhouse China have long vied for influence in the impoverished Himalayan country which was ripped apart by the quake, leaving more than 6,200 people dead.
China has dispatched about 300 personnel to Nepal and announced about $10 million in aid so far, according to state media.
AFP
