Doha, 06 May 2020 (NHRC-QNA)

National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) of Qatar  in coordination with representatives of its expat bodies, has launched an awareness campaign targeting corporate workers, including workers in recruiting companies and domestic workers.

The campaign included field visits to workers in Industrial Area, Umm Salal, Al Wakrah, Al Duhail, and Al Thumama. In the future it will include other areas where expatriate workers are located.

The campaign distributes instructions, brochures, and educational publications that focus on the preventive measures that must be followed to prevent the risk of infection with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The campaign also raises the awareness of workers on the importance of using the hotline launched by the NHRC, to receive and monitor any complaints they have regarding violations that may affect their rights, especially due to the repercussions of the (COVID-19) epidemic.

Abdullah Ali Al Mahmoud, Head of NHRC Media and Public Relations Department said the campaign came to complement the field visits paid by teams from the committee since the start of Ramadan to the Industrial Area and workers quarantined in Umm Salal, Mesaieed, and other areas, in addition to police stations.

He said that the campaign is an implementation of the goals of the National Human Rights Committee in raising the awareness of workers from different nationalities on the dangers of the spread of COVID-19, and on their rights, including prevention and treatment under these conditions, as well as their right to make use of all the different medical equipment required for protection from the virus.

Al-Mahmoud said the committee’s team met with workers and discussed their residence conditions. The team familiarised the workers with the guidelines on the precautionary measures taken by Qatar, and the rights of everyone in the country in these conditions under the law.

Representatives of expat community offices of Nepal, India, Africa, Sri Lanka, and Bengal all participated in the awareness campaign.

This was in reflection of the committee’s commitment to reaching all expat communities and communicating in the different languages they speak.