765 Nepali workers died in Saudi in last 33 months

KATHMANDU, April 29:

A total of 765 Nepali workers have died in Saudi Arabia in the last 33 months. According to Nepal´s embassy in Saudi Arabia, it has registered 765 death reports of Nepali workers in the gulf country between mid-June 2011 and mid-March 2014.

Similarly, the embassy also rescued 948 Nepali women workers from Saudi Arabia and sent them back to Nepal during this period.

Uday Raj Pandey, Nepal´s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said at a press meet in Kathmandu on Tuesday that most of the women rescued from the gulf nation were under the age of 30.

“We have to deal with a myriad of problems there in Saudi Arabia concerning the Nepali workers. However, the root cause of such problems can be traced back to Nepal,” Pandey said.

He stressed the need to provide proper orientation to the aspiring Nepali workers before flying to the Saudi Arabia.

“We do not claim that we can bring down the number of death to zero. However, a big number of deaths can be prevented if we can provide proper orientation to these aspiring workers about Saudi Arabia and other basic issues like traffic system, weather and work condition and food habit,” he added.

During the 33-month period, the embassy also settled 1,728 complaints related to the Nepali workers.

“The complaints settled ranges from the pay disputes to other legal complications,” the ambassador said.

He also informed that the embassy has also facilitated in settlement of the compensation worth Rs 16.81 million (652,000 Saudi Riyal) in case of death and injury during the period.

The embassy also helped in freeing 13,227 Nepali workers from the different Saudi jails.

“13,227 Nepali workers languishing at various jails of Saudi Arabia have been freed with the initiative of the embassy. There are around 100 remaining workers in the jail and we are working toward seeking their release,” Pandey added.

The embassy has also helped 28,000 Nepali working illegally in Saudi Arabia last year when the gulf country announced the ´amnesty´ to all the illegal workers to exit the country without facing punishment.

Seven thousand other workers were helped to correct their legal status during the amnesty period.

Ambassador Pandey also complained that the embassy was understaffed, which impeded their effort to provide immediate service to the Nepali workers facing problems there.

“Nepal and the Philippines have around equal number of workers in Saudi Arabia. But they have 140 staff with their embassy while we are just 19 staff,” he said, adding, “Yet, we work seven days a week to offer service to our fellow compatriots.”

Source: Republica