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Time of India
a day ago
- Climate
- Time of India
HRW warns Gulf labourers at risk as temperatures soar
UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait are witnessing temperatures soaring up to 50 degree celsius (Image credit: AFP) Human Rights Watch said Sunday that migrant workers in the Gulf were at risk from extreme heat , urging countries to extend protections for labourers exposed to soaring temperatures. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait, where migrants represent a sizable share of the workforce, lie in one of the planet's hottest regions where summer temperatures often edge towards 50 degrees celsius (122 degrees fahrenheit). "Every summer reveals that the climate crisis aggravates the occupational health and safety catastrophe for the millions of migrant workers dangerously exposed to extreme heat," said Michael Page, HRW's deputy Middle East director. "Because Gulf states are dragging their feet on evidence-based labour protections, migrant workers are unnecessarily dying, experiencing kidney failure, and suffering from other chronic illnesses," he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dermatologista recomenda: simples truque elimina o fungo facilmente Acabe com o Fungo Undo The wealthy Gulf states rely heavily on millions of migrant workers particularly in construction, the majority of whom hail from India and Pakistan. Last month, the UAE breached its May temperature record for the second day in a row, hitting 51.6 degrees celsius. To protect labourers, the states ban work under direct sunlight and in open-air areas at peak heat hours from mid-June until mid-September as part of a longstanding "midday break" policy. But with the Gulf particularly vulnerable to climate change, HRW said "these extreme heat conditions are now more frequent and earlier, in May", before the midday break comes into effect. A electrician in Kuwait interviewed by the New York-based rights group said he would feel "dizziness, vomiting, head pain, and blurry vision many times," working during the summer months and "many people fall down because of heat". HRW urged authorities and businesses to move away from "calendar-based midday bans," to risk-based measures to gauge occupational heat stress. Scientists have shown that recurring heatwaves are a clear marker of global warming and that these heatwaves are set to become more frequent, longer and more intense. The number of extremely hot days has nearly doubled globally in the past three decades. According to a 2024 report from the International Labour Organization, a United Nations agency, outdoor workers in Arab states face some of the highest exposure to heat stress in the world, with 83.6 per cent suffering from excessive heat exposure on the job.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Rain, storms in Pakistan kill 32 in a week
Representative Image (AI-generated) At least 32 people have been killed and more than 150 injured in Pakistan in a week of storms that followed a heatwave, with officials reporting on Friday five more deaths. Five people including a child were killed on Thursday in different districts of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during heavy rains and strong winds, the province's disaster management authority said. Stormy weather is expected to continue in northern and central parts of Pakistan until Saturday, according to the national meteorological office. Heavy windstorms killed 10 people on Tuesday and 14 on Saturday in different parts of the country, one of the most vulnerable to climate change and grappling with increasingly frequent extreme weather events. Three children were killed on Wednesday in Hyderabad in Sindh province, a senior official said. While the majority of the deaths were caused by collapsing walls and roofs, at least two people died after being hit by solar panels dislodged by the whipping gusts. People are killed every year in Pakistan by intense storms, which were unusually frequent this month. Heatwaves in May followed an unusually warm April and a very dry winter. Temperatures were up to six degrees celsius above normal in May, peaking at above 48 degrees celsius (118 degrees fahrenheit).
