Key facts
- Nepali construction worker Hari Krishna's family lost their home, belongings, and livestock in the floods.
- Krishna's grandfather, aged 67, died in the disaster.
- Driver Shiva Ujjwal lost nine relatives and his family's property in the floods.
- Remittances account for roughly a third of Nepal's GDP, with 40% coming from the Gulf.
- The kafala system, a labor sponsorship framework, exacerbates the immobility of migrant workers.
Nepali migrant workers in the Gulf are experiencing profound distress as devastating floods in their home country have destroyed homes, claimed lives, and left thousands missing. Hari Krishna, a construction worker in Dubai, is unable to return to his family in Nuwakot district after the floods swept away their home, possessions, and livestock, also killing his grandfather. Similarly, Shiva Ujjwal, a driver in Qatar, has lost nine relatives and his family's property, facing the daunting task of rebuilding from scratch.
These workers, who form a critical part of Nepal's economy through remittances that account for about a third of its GDP, are now pooling their savings for relief efforts. However, many are trapped by logistical and financial barriers, including the cost of flights and the uncertainty of job security upon return, exacerbated by labor sponsorship frameworks like the kafala system. Rameshwar Nepal, an investigator for Equidem, highlighted the desperation of these workers to return home, facing immense hurdles and fearing long-term impacts on their livelihoods.
The floods, which struck Nepal's Bhote Khosi-Trishuli corridor in late August, have been described as one of the country's most catastrophic climate disasters in recent history, with widespread destruction of infrastructure and settlements.