International organizations criticize Qatar’s government for its “ruthless” response to the death of a Filipino worker at a World Cup facility
The tragic fate of some workers involved in the construction of the World Cup stadiums has become the biggest mole of Qatar 2022. While the public conversation has shifted more and more towards the sporting competition as time goes on, the death of a Filipino worker in a World Cup facility has refocused on the most inconvenient issue for both the Emirate and FIFA .
Last Wednesday, ‘The Athletic’ magazine revealed that Álex, an electrician who worked in the parking lot of the Sealine Resort, the training ground of the Saudi Arabian national team, had died after falling down a garage ramp and hitting his head on the concrete floor. had bumped. although the day the death occurred was not stated. The Philippine State Department confirmed the death on Thursday and assured it is working with the embassy to clarify details of the case.
The anger of Sheikh Nasser al-Khater, chairman of the Qatar 2022 Organizing Committee, when a journalist from ‘The Guardian’ newspaper asked him about the misfortune of the Filipino worker was visible. “We’re in the middle of a World Cup, a very successful World Cup, and now you’re asking me about it,” he snapped. Although he offered his “condolences” to the family, he criticized the international press for continuing to delve into a “false” case. It was then that Nasser al-Khater said that death was “a natural part of life, both at work and in bed”, a phrase that immediately provoked the wrath of some international organizations.
Human Right Watch condemned the sheikh’s “ruthless” response, noting that the Qatari government continues to “refuse to investigate the thousands of deaths”. In addition, he criticized that the World Cup organizers rushed to say that the deceased Filipino worker, apparently a subcontractor, was not under their jurisdiction “when he was repairing a World Cup facility”. However, the Reuters bureau collected the statement of a member of the Qatari government in which he assured that “if the investigation finds that security protocols were not adhered to, the company will face severe financial sanctions.”
Both Human Right Watch and Amnesty International have condemned the Qatari government for failing to investigate the deaths since FIFA awarded Qatar the hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The emirate assures that all families of the deceased have been compensated, but the NGOs respond that many of the deaths have been dismissed as the product of “natural causes” or “heart attacks”, despite having occurred in young and healthy men. worked from dawn to dusk building the stadiums.
The total number of dead could also not be determined precisely. Some investigations put the number above 6,000, although until a few days ago the Supreme Committee on the Organization and Legacy recognized only three deaths directly related to the World Cup works and another 37 indirectly. On November 28, the Committee’s secretary-general, Hassan al-Tawadi, admitted that the actual number could be “between 400 and 500”. A very wide fork to which must now be added the suitcase of Álex, a Filipino electrician whose last name is unknown.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
