By Vyshnavy Velrajh
Over 30 Sri Lankan migrant workers employed in Middle Eastern countries are reported to have died during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spokesman to the Sri Lanka Bureau for Foreign Employment (SLBFE) Mangala Randeniya told Newswire that a total of 35 Sri Lankan migrant workers have died due to the coronavirus in Middle Eastern countries.
The 35 deceased Sri Lankans include 33 men and 2 females, and the deaths have been reported from March 2020 to date, he said.
The deaths were reported from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Oman, and Lebanon.
Funeral of the deceased have been conducted in the respective countries in line with the health guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), Mangala Randeniya added.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankans stranded in the Middle East due to the coronavirus pandemic have called on the Sri Lankan Government to expedite their repatriation.
The Sri Lankan migrant workers are reported to be facing a crisis after being stranded and remain without facilities to return to Sri Lanka.
The stranded Sri Lankans have called on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to initiate and expedite their return to Sri Lanka.
A majority of the Sri Lankans are said to have lost their employment, while some are said to be in a crisis without sufficient food.
The Ministry of Foreign Relations has repatriated close to 15,000 Sri Lankan migrant workers, while measures are underway to repatriate another 30 000. (Newswire)