6 Sept, Kathmandu: Five more Nepali migrant workers died of COVID-19 infection last week in United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Non-Resident Nepalis Association (NRNA). NRNA Health Committee stated that a total of 200 Nepalis living in 16 different countries died so far due to the coronavirus pandemic. The committee’s coordinator Dr Sanjeev Sapkota said Nepalis living in 40 different countries were infected with COVID-19 so far. Till Saturday, Nepalis residing in the United Kingdom, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Ireland, Japan, Turkey, the Netherlands, Sweden, India and South Africa died of coronavirus infection. According to Chiran Sharma, press coordinator for COVID-19 High-Level Committee of NRNA, a total of 34,939 Nepalis living abroad were found infected adding that 32,989 of them have already won the battle against the virus. Likewise, over 56,000 migrant workers who were stranded in different parts were rescued so far. With the joint effort of NRNA and Nepali diplomatic missions, altogether 56,777 migrant workers from 58 countries were repatriated via 359 flights. The NRNA said that dead bodies of 299 Nepalis were sent back home in this period of pandemic outbreak.
