Five hundred and forty-nine migrant Nepali workers died in Gulf countries in 2014.
According to the data made available by the Nepali embassies in the Gulf countries, 549 Nepali migrants, including 20 women, died in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain and Oman last year. The cause of their deaths were attributed to, among others, road accidents, workplace accidents and the natural causes.
The number of Nepali migrants’ death decreased in 2014, compared to over 600 deaths reported in the previous year.
Saudi Arabia saw the most number of Nepali migrants’ death last year. As many as 249 Nepali workers died there. Nepali Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Udaya Raj Pandey said the causes of most deaths were caused due to consumption of toxic alcohol. “Most of the workers had died in their sleep,” Pandey said, adding that road and workplace accidents were also responsible for the death of many Nepalis.
Meanwhile, the rate of suicide among Nepali workers has also increased over the years, Pandey said. “The suicide rate is high among the workers who land in trouble and cannot return home immediately.”
A Nepali medical doctor working in Qatar said that the number of migrants’ death in the Gulf could be minimised. “In some cases, workers died untimely due to their negligence to their health,” he said.
Similarly, he said the
rate of natural deaths could be reduced significantly
if the workers are provided with work permits only
after a thorough medical examination.
It is estimated that 1.5 million Nepalis are working in the Gulf countries.
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