At least 1,400 Nepali workers died while constructing football stadiums in Qatar

FILE: In this Wednesday, October 31, 2018 file photo, men work on the construction site of the Ras Abu Aboud stadium, backdropped by the city skyline in Doha, Qatar. Photo: AP. Sketched by the Pan Pacific Agency.

KATHMANDU, Jun 12, 2019, The Himalayan Times. A German Public broadcaster Westdeutscher Rundfunk Koln (WDR) through an investigative report in a documentary named “Trapped in Qatar” recently exposed that at least 1,400 Nepalis have lost their lives while constructing football stadiums for 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, as reported by the Arab News today, reported The Himalayan Times.

The documentary telecasted by the WDR has also highlighted the plight of Nepali workers who endured squalid living conditions and perilous building sites in the Gulf state.

“It is a fact that many Nepali workers have lost their lives in Qatar over the years,” Arab News quoted Narayan Regmi, Spokesperson for the Labour Ministry as saying.

According to the report, accidents and poor living conditions have claimed around 110 lives every year, according to Nepali government figures. However, bereaved families of the deceased workers told WDR that they had received no compensation from Doha.

Although Nepal and Qatar had signed a Memorandum of Understanding as well as a bilateral agreement, exploitation of Nepali migrant workers working for the construction of stadiums has continued unabated.

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