A massive 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit the Southeast Asian country of Nepal on Saturday, in what was the worst natural disaster for the country in 80 years. The earthquake not only affected Nepal, but also India and China. An 8.1 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal in 1934 – the worst in the country’s history.

The capital city, Kathmandu, has a population of more than one million people who have been left in mayhem as a result of the destruction.

Nepal is a country with rich history, beautiful valleys, mountain peaks and monuments. Many of those monuments are in rubble today.

The landlocked country in between India and China is 75 percent mountainous. Nepal, with one of the lowest GDP’s in the world, simply does not have the resources to recover on its own and must rely on international help.

I was born in Kathmandu and lived there for the first three years of my life before coming to the U.S. Although remembering something that far back seems far-fetched, going back to visit numerous times has kept me in touch with my past, my Hindu culture and a lot of family members who still continue to call Nepal home.

The first thought that went through my mind when I saw the news was the well-being of my immediate family who live in Kathmandu. My two grandparents live there and my mom is currently visiting. I have recently kept in touch with all of my aunts, uncles and cousins who are safe, but still in trauma because of the natural disaster.

Although my family was not physically affected by the earthquake, they were emotionally. Traffic has remained congested in the damaged roads with crowds of people walking to the markets and bazaars. Many people, including some of my family, can’t go to the store with the current state of the roads throughout Kathmandu. More than 5,000 people have lost their lives as of Tuesday night, and the death toll continues to rise as the rescue continues.

The earthquake affected 30 out of the 75 districts in Nepal, and 4.6 million people were exposed to the dangerous tremors of the earthquake. The epicenter was 50 miles northwest of the capital city of Kathmandu.

Every time I went back, I learned something new about the historic landmarks and monuments that were there before the earthquake.

My grandfather, who is an electrical engineer in Kathmandu, knows the history of Nepal better than anyone I know. For me, going back to Nepal is all about seeing my family who I haven’t seen in a long time, but visiting is also a good learning experience to hear about how my ancestors made a living and got my family to where it is today.

One of the historic monuments I mentioned includes Dharahara Tower, which stood a little over 200 feet, and was no more than 200 yards from where I lived in Kathmandu. It was built in 1832 and was a major tourist attraction.

It showcased stunning images of the Kathmandu Valley and the Himalayan Mountain Range. During the earthquake, the tower collapsed with dozens of people inside, and now lies in pieces. It was surreal to see it go down, and to hear that people were inside who did not make it out was tragic.

Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, endured colossal avalanches that resulted in base camps being destroyed and nearly 20 deaths. The search for survivors continues. The Mount Everest base camp endured the worst avalanche in history in 2014, killing more than 10 people.

Aftershocks continue to rock the Kathmandu area, which have left thousands of people to sleep in the street, too afraid to stay in their homes.

Communicating with my mom through social media has been relieving. She has been keeping me updated on the situation in the streets. She told me that it is complete and utter madness, and that the people of Nepal weren’t ready for something like this.

My family in Nepal is involved with Hindu culture and often visits temples. Some of the temples that my family has visited for more than a century were destroyed. Rough times are ahead for the people of Nepal, but to know that the absolute worst is behind them is a relief.

The recovery time could take years for the third-world country, leaving the citizens of Kathmandu and all of Nepal in desperate times.

Being helpless and not being able to help your people halfway across the world is agonizing. I wish the people of Nepal comfort during this time, and with the help of many nations around the world, a better Nepal will be reborn.

Many groups, such as Unicef, Red Cross, The Salvation Army and PayPal, are accepting donations for the relief effort. Every amount makes a difference. Please pray for Nepal.