Covid-19: Migrants in Qatar beg for food amid outbreak

Following an upsurge in the outbreak that has seen one-in-four people test positive, low-wage migrant workers in Qatar, one of the richest countries in the world, say they have been forced to beg for food as the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic takes a havoc.

In more than 20 interviews including several Bangladeshi nationals, workers in the World Cup host nation have described a mounting sense of desperation, frustration and fear. Many told the Guardian they have suddenly been left jobless, with no other way to earn a living. Others say they are desperate, but unable, to return home. Some have been forced to plead for food from their employers or charities.

“I don’t have much food left. Just some rice and lentils. It will last only a few days. What happens when this food finishes?” said Rafiq, a cleaner from Bangladesh who lost his job in March.

Qatar, home to over 2 million migrant workers, now has one of the highest rates of infection per capita in the world with almost 18,000 cases in a population of just 2.8 million. Over 25% of those tested for the virus in the past week have been found to be infected; the vast majority migrant workers.

The government says almost all the cases are mild, and death rates have remained very low, with just 12 fatalities.

The cost to livelihoods has been compounded by a government directive in mid-April allowing companies that have stopped operating due to coronavirus restrictions to put workers on unpaid leave or terminate their contracts. The government said food and accommodation, which is usually arranged by employers, must continue to be provided, but workers’ testimonies suggest in some cases this is not happening.

Some of the worst hit are undocumented workers and those on so-called “free visas”, who often rely on short-term or casual work, without a regular employer to provide food and housing.

Saidul, a decorator from Bangladesh working on a free visa, said he has been without a job since mid-March. “I have spent all my savings. I am borrowing money from friends and relatives for food and rent. It’s very difficult to carry on without work … I’m not afraid of corona. The problem is there isn’t any work,” he said.

On Wednesday, the government announced easing of restrictions on the Industrial Area, a vast district of labour camps, factories and warehouses on the outskirts of Doha, much of which has been in total lockdown after an outbreak of the virus in March. The area is home to hundreds of thousands of men, housed in rundown, overcrowded dormitories. Police guard the entry roads which are shut off with heavy metal barriers.

(Source: The Guardian)

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