By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
The United Nations has reported a troubling trend where migrant domestic workers in Lebanon are being abandoned by their employers as violence escalates between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.
According to Mathieu Luciano, head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Lebanon, “We are receiving increasing reports of migrant domestic workers being abandoned,” often left locked in homes or on the streets while their employers flee the ongoing conflict.
The situation is dire for Lebanon’s approximately 170,000 migrant workers, primarily women from countries such as Ethiopia and the Philippines. Many are undocumented and fear seeking assistance due to the risk of arrest and deportation.
The IOM has received numerous requests from these workers seeking help to return home, but Luciano noted, “This would require significant funding – which we currently do not have.” With Israeli attacks resulting in over 1,000 deaths since late September, the precarious status of migrant workers continues to deteriorate amidst the crisis.
(Source: TRT Afrika)
