UNITED NATIONS: A top UN official has lauded India's first response and reconstruction assistance to Nepal following a devastating earthquake in April that killed nearly 9,000 people, saying the help has been welcomed by Kathmandu "India and China are very very present in the reconstruction effort. We have seen the Indian armed forces providing the first response," UN Development Programme Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support Magdy Martínez-Solimán told reporters during a briefing about his mission to areas of devastation in Nepal and "daunting challenges."He said the Nepali airport was "literally occupied" by the Indian military aircraft and helicopters that provided support to the Nepalese armed forces after the April 25 temblor.India's help has "been very welcome" by Nepal, he said.The first flight from India was dispatched with relief material within four hours of the quake and there were nonstop sorties of aircraft carrying 550 tonnes of relief material.The Indian Army operated 13 helicopters from Kathmandu and Pokhara and 16 teams of the National Disaster Reaction Force , comprising over 700 trained personnel, were deployed.Additionaly, 18 army engineering team were deployed and the Indian Army had set up three field hospitals and the Air Force deployed a rapid action team.The senior UN development official drew attention to the post-earthquake recovery and reconstruction needs of more than 500,000 homes and cultural heritage sites in the rural areas.Martínez-Solimán said the "good news" is that large infrastructure structures such as the main airport, dams, communications and electricity networks had largely survived the twin earthquakes that hit Nepal.He said an official assessment of the damage is underway and would be ready by early July.He described "immense" damage to homes in rural areas, as well as to cultural and historical heritage such as temples, upon which Nepal's economy depends.The UNDP official said his agency estimated that $ 175 million was needed to reconstruct the homes, which reflected a solid case for "building back better."According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), about 2.8 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance with over 860,000 people in immediate need due to loss of shelter, limited road access and poverty.The total number of casualties now stands at 8,669 with 384 people still missing, OCHA said.