Thousands of Nepalese workers have died in Qatar since 2010 on the construction sites of the World Cup. But victims' grieving families are rarely given any compensation by Qatari companies. Most deaths are due to workers falling from high buildings or suffering heart attacks. Human rights groups have questioned working conditions in Qatar, where temperatures often reach 50 °C. Some workers do return home, but their health is ruined. Despite this, many Nepalese continue to flock to the Gulf.
According to local authorities, 13,000 Nepalese have left to work on the World Cup construction sites in Qatar. Some 2,000 of them have died. Various human rights groups believe this number is very much an underestimate.
Due to a lack of jobs and high salaries at home, half a million Nepalese leave every year to work in the Gulf states and Malaysia, getting entrapped in what's been called modern-day slavery. Our correspondents report.
