The ties between Nepal and New Zealand are strong and run deep within the tapestry of both countries.
When the late Sir Edmund Hillary, with Sherpa Tenzing, climbed Mt Everest in 1953, he established a link between the two countries which remains unbroken to this day.
The fact his son Peter Hillary was in Nepal when the devastating earthquake all but destroyed the country was telling in itself.
Wanaka mountain guiding company Adventure Consultants had five Nepalese employees killed in the 7.8-magnitude earthquake.
It is thought about 100 New Zealanders are in Nepal currently as family and friends await news.
Poor communications technology, hampered by the earthquake and the aftershocks, has made it difficult to get details out of the country, with many people around the world relying on media reports for any news.
With nearly 4000 already confirmed dead, the dread now is for the fate of those living in remote valleys, well away from the capital Kathmandu.
The true extent of disasters like the one which has hit Nepal often only becomes clear days and weeks afterwards, as crews work through the rubble of lives upended.
The New Zealand Government has pledged $1 million of help immediately but is not yet sending its Urban Search and Rescue team, at the request of the Nepalese Government.
Having dealt with the Christchurch earthquakes, and the ongoing stress brought to the people whose lives were irrevocably altered by the devastation wrought on one of New Zealand's largest cities, this country is only too aware of the trauma those in Nepal will be going through.
The international community is going to the aid of the people of Nepal, but there is a long journey ahead.
Sitting atop a major tectonic fault, which sees the Himalayan range lifted a few centimetres a year, Nepal is accustomed to tremors of the earth.
This time, however, it has been overwhelmed by a powerful quake.
Even getting aid and relief workers into Kathmandu is complicated, with fewer than a fifth of regular daily flights now arriving, with airlines concerned about the effects of powerful aftershocks.
This situation is far worse than that of Christchurch, for instance, because of the isolation.
And building standards are shoddy in Nepal, with reports emerging of buildings collapsing because of a lack of reinforcing, pillars and the use of substandard concrete.
Resentment against the Government is growing quickly in the country, which is already deeply divided on ethnic lines.
The nation of 27 million was in political and economic disarray well before the earthquakes.
Nepal has 125 ethnic groups, 127 spoken languages, scores of castes and three distinct ecosystems that have divided it into feuding communities.
Nepalese people are known for their toughness.
Sherpas and Gurkhas are so renowned for that trait that their names are synonymous with strength and bravery.
But this disaster will test their strongest resolve.
The ruling elite has for generations refused to share power and the government response has been slow.
On average, about 1500 Nepalese officially left for temporary jobs abroad each day in the 2014 financial year, up from six a day in 1996.
Because the border with India is unchecked, no-one knows for sure the precise figures.
Most of the outlying villages, some thought to be completely destroyed, are homes only for the elderly, women and children with men working overseas and sending back their wages.
The ambivalent relationship Nepal has with India is likely to hinder rescue attempts.
The Nepalese feel India has for decades alternated between meddling and hurtful resentment.
Nepal has consistently refused for 50 years India's offers of development help or closer connections.
Yet India is now leading the rescue and recovery efforts.
New Zealand can play a much wider role than just sending money and supplies to help with the recovery.
Given the abiding links between the two countries, the Government can use its considerable diplomatic clout to help Nepal overcome public disorder, encourage personal perseverance, and help the country rebuild from the bottom up.
