Expo 2020 Dubai: Expo 2020 Dubai said for the first time 5 workers died at the scene

The Expo previously stated that its 200,000 Laborer The people who built the site worked approximately 240 million hours during its construction. Despite repeated requests from the Associated Press and other reporters, it has not previously provided any overall statistics on worker deaths, injuries, or coronavirus infections.

After admission European Parliament Last month, countries were urged not to participate in the Expo, on the grounds that United Arab Emirates“Inhumane practices against foreign workers” got worse during the pandemic. The resolution stated that on the eve of the Expo, companies and construction companies “forced workers to sign untranslated documents, confiscated their passports, allowed them to perform extreme working hours under unsafe weather conditions, and provided them with unsanitary housing. “.

At a press conference one day after the event’s opening, Expo spokesperson Sconaid McGeachin said that reporters had previously obtained information about the death toll and introduced a press release about a memorial to the workers who built the site from scratch. But did not provide more details. She said that the authorities will provide more information about the casualties at a later date, the specific time is yet to be determined.

McGeachin also admitted that the authorities were aware of cases involving contractors’ “holding passports” and engaging in suspicious “recruitment practices” on the spot and workplace safety violations.

“We have taken steps to ensure that these issues are resolved, and have intervened a lot in the case,” she said, but did not elaborate.

this UAEIt is an oil-rich emirate that relies on low-paid immigrant labor from Africa, Asia and Arab countries to maintain its economic prosperity. It has long been criticized by human rights organizations because it treats these workers poorly.But officials have been working hard to show a positive image for the World Expo, which is the first World Expo in the Middle East that seeks to show off. DubaiThe pride of China has attracted millions of foreign tourists.

Workers in the UAE are banned from joining trade unions and there is almost no protection. They often work long hours, with low wages and substandard living conditions.

Dubai’s scorching early autumn heat proved dangerous, even for those who visited the site on Friday’s opening day, some tourists fainted in the high temperature of 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Celsius) Fahrenheit) Humid weather.