UAE: 167 Nepali migrants die in UAE in past 6 months, according to Nepali embassy, amid hazardous working conditions.
In the past six months, 167 Nepali migrant workers have died in the UAE, according to the Nepali Embassy in Abu Dhabi. This marks a worrying trend, with an average of 27 deaths per month — a sharp increase from last year’s average of 19 per month. The deaths, often linked to hazardous working conditions, extreme heat, and poor living environments, have sparked growing concerns over the safety and wellbeing of Nepali laborers in the Gulf region.
The causes of these fatalities include workplace and road accidents, as well as heart attacks, with the extreme conditions in the UAE contributing significantly to the health risks faced by migrant workers. The issue extends beyond the UAE, as Nepali migrant workers across the Gulf face similar challenges, with many succumbing to preventable accidents and health issues exacerbated by grueling work conditions.
This rising death toll underscores the urgent need for comprehensive reforms in the area of work place health and safety policies, implementation and better protection of migrant workers in the Gulf. Calls for government action, both in Nepal and the UAE, are growing to improve labor conditions and provide better safety measures for workers.
Sources: www.business-humanrights.org, Nepali Embassy in the UAE, Xinhua News Agency.
