A total of at least 185 Nepalese workers died in the Qatar construction industry in 2013, official documents have revealed.
The 2013 death toll is likely to raise new concerns over the treatment of migrant workers in Qatar as the Gulf state steps up its infrastructure building programme ahead of hosting the 2022 World Cup tournament.
According to the documents cited by the UK’s Guardian newspaper, the total number of verified deaths among workers from Nepal is now at least 382 in two years alone.
It said at least 36 of those deaths were registered in the weeks following the global outcry that followed the its original investigation into the issue last September.
Nepalese workers make up around one sixth of Qatar’s 2 million population of migrant workers.
The paper quoted the Pravasi Nepali Co-ordination Committee (PNCC) as saying it is still receiving new cases on a regular basis.
The initial revelations last year forced FIFA president Sepp Blatter to urge authorities in Qatar to ensure fair treatment of workers.
In November, a UN official called on Qatar to abolish a sponsorship system for migrant workers he said was a source of labour abuse, raising pressure on the 2022 World Cup host for reforms of its workplace practices.
Francois Crepeau, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants said that living conditions of foreign workers tended to be poor, describing one compound he had visited as a “slum”.
The International Trade Union Congress (ITUC) also claimed that 4,000 migrants workers are likely to die as Qatar gears up for a construction frenzy ahead of the 2022 World Cup tournament.
It claimed at least 500,000 extra workers are set to be called on to help complete stadiums, hotels and infrastructure.
Qatar’s Ministry of Labour hired law firm DLA Piper to conduct an urgent review and a report is expected to be published in the coming weeks.
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