Kudos: Sushma Swaraj tweets as consulate in Jeddah feeds 10,000 starving Indians in Saudi Arabia

Nearly 10,000 Indian workers, who were recently laid off, and on the brink of starvation for the last three days in Saudi city Jeddah, got some relief after the Indian consulate and community there pitched in to distribute almost 16,000 kilograms of food to them, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted on Sunday morning.

Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh is travelling to the Gulf nation to sort out the issue.

Indian Consulate n Indian Community Jeddah food stuff distribution mission accomplished at 245 AM today morning. Kudos to all. @123nrs

— India in Jeddah (@CGIJeddah) July 31, 2016

Swaraj said the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia has been directed to serve food to them and that she was monitoring the situation on an hourly basis.

Her response came following a tweet by a man who said around 800 Indians are starving for the last three days in Jeddah and sought her intervention.

We have asked the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia to serve you food in Jeddah. /1 @Imran_khokhar84

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 30, 2016

Swaraj said Indians in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were facing various problems relating to their work and wage and that the “matters are much worse” in Saudi Arabia.

She said MoS External Affairs M J Akbar will take up the issue with Kuwait and Saudi authorities.

“My colleagues @Gen_VKSingh will go to Saudi Arabia to sort out these matters and @MJakbar will take up with Kuwait and Saudi authorities.

I appeal to 30 lakhs Indians in Saudi Arabia. Please help your fellow brothers and sisters. /1

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 30, 2016

We have asked the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia to serve you food in Jeddah. /1 @Imran_khokhar84

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 30, 2016

We have asked the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia to serve you food in Jeddah. /1 @Imran_khokhar84

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 30, 2016

As a result our brothers and sisters in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are facing extreme hardship. /2

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 30, 2016

While situation in Kuwait is manageable, matters are much worse in Saudi Arabia./3

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 30, 2016

We have asked @IndianEmbRiyadh to provide free ration to the unemployed Indian workers in Saudi Arabia. /4

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 30, 2016

“As a result our brothers and sisters in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are facing extreme hardship,” she said, adding while the situation in Kuwait is “manageable”, matters are much “worse” in Saudi Arabia.

Later, Swaraj posted pictures of food being provided to the Indian workers.

I assure you that no Indian worker rendered unemployed in Saudi Arabia will go without food. I am monitoring this on hourly basis.

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 30, 2016

Happy Indians in que 4 food stuffs at Sisten pic.twitter.com/uhUKVMVPGG

— India in Jeddah (@CGIJeddah) July 30, 2016

Indian Consulate officials leaving for Highway camp in next 45 minutes. Good job, Nice coordination. United India.

— India in Jeddah (@CGIJeddah) July 30, 2016

Indian Consulate in association with Indian Community Jeddah distributed 15,475 kgs of food stuff besides eggs,spices,salt etc n 1850 no 1/2

— India in Jeddah (@CGIJeddah) July 30, 2016

of food packets 2 Indians during last three days. Efforts r on to reach out to each n every Indian to help them overcome this crisis.

— India in Jeddah (@CGIJeddah) July 30, 2016

There is nothing mightier than the collective will of Indian nation.

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 30, 2016

Meanwhile, an Indian community member who has been actively involved in the food distribution work told IANS over the phone from Jeddah that there are at least seven distribution camps around that Saudi city.

“We have provided food to four camps around Jeddah in the last three days and the remaining three camps will be covered in a day or two,” he said.

He said that in the last three days, Indian consulate officials and community members in Jeddah have provided 15,475 kg of foodstuffs besides cooking ingredients and 1,850 readymade food packets. Food was distributed among about 3,000 Indian workers on Saturday, it is learnt.

Low oil prices have forced the Saudi government to slash spending since last year, putting heavy pressure on the finances of local construction firms which rely on state contracts. As a result, some companies have been struggling to pay foreign workers and have laid off tens of thousands, leaving many with no money for food let alone for tickets home.

Workers have been laid off by Saudi Oger, a leading Saudi construction company. The community worker said that there has been a slowdown in the Saudi construction industry because of the fall in global crude oil prices. “Not only Saudi Arabia, it has been happening in all Gulf countries,” he said.

While Saudi Arabia has over three million expatriate Indians, there are over 800,000 of them in Kuwait. Most of them are blue collars.

With inputs from agencies