The perfect storm for the forgotten
The escalation in the Middle East not only moves tanks and missiles. It also drags down lives that no one sees: the millions of migrant workers who support the Gulf economies. And the price they are paying is brutal.
The conflict, which broke out after friction between the United States, Israel and Iran, has already left dozens of victims among this population. People who came looking for a better salary, and now find themselves in the middle of hell.
Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun knows this well. This Bangladeshi spent 15 years in Saudi Arabia, sending money home, building a future. Now, his story is just a reflection of what thousands live.
“There is no easy way out. Borders are closed, flights are canceled, and they are trapped,” a humanitarian source who prefers not to give his name told me.
High salaries were always the hook. But the risk has skyrocketed. And when war escalates, the most vulnerable—those without a powerful passport or support network—are the first to be left hanging.
I’ve seen this before. In 1991, in 2003. Cycles that repeat. The difference is that there are now more migrants than ever in the region, and fewer protection mechanisms.
The question I ask myself, and that we should all ask ourselves, is: what happens to the families that depend on those monthly checks? Because while governments discuss strategies, there are mothers and fathers in Bangladesh, Pakistan or the Philippines who don’t know if their next plate of food will arrive.
