The prime minister of Nepal is telling reporters that his country is “on war footing” as they work to recover victims of the weekend earthquake and aftershocks.

Sushii Koirala told Reuters was “doing all it can for rescue and relief” in a “difficult hour.”  He said that he was making requests to every nation around the globe for help in rescuing citizens trapped in rural areas.

Koirala said that many of the requests from rural areas are having to be denied because they do not have the heavy equipment necessary to reach the victims.  The lack of available resources likely means an increase in the death toll.

The death toll from the quake has officially passed 5,000 and over 10,000 have been confirmed to have suffered injuries.

Nepal’s home ministry reports at leave 500,000 people have been displaced by the quake.  However, the United Nations puts the estimates significantly higher.

“Eight million people in 39 districts have been affected, of which over two million people live in the 11 severely affected districts,” said the most recent report from the UN Office of the Resident Co-ordinator in Nepal.

Relief workers in Gortha, which was located next to the epicenter, say that 90% of the town has been leveled.  Most residents do not have access to clean water or food.

Aftershocks are continuing to hit the region causing minor landslides that are hampering relief efforts.  The government has declared three days of mourning for the dead.