After Sushma Swaraj's intervention, consulate provides food to Indians facing crisis in S Arabia

Thousands of Indian workers in Saudi Arabia, facing severe food shortage due to financial hardship after losing their jobs, have been provided food by the Indian Consulate in Jeddah. 

"Indian Consulate (Jeddah) and Indian community's food stuff distribution mission accomplished at 2:45 AM today morning. Kudos to all," the Indian Consulate here tweeted. "All 5 camps, Shumaisi, Sisten/Macrona, Sojex, Highway, Taif taken care with supply of food materials. An effort of last four days succeeded well," it said. In a humanitarian crisis, over 10,000 Indian workers in Saudi Arabia are facing severe food shortage after losing their jobs and the government has ordered its mission in the Gulf nation to provide food to them besides other assistance.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has appealed to 30 lakh Indians in this country to help their "fellow brothers and sisters", asserting that there is nothing "mightier" than the collective will of the Indian nation. Swaraj said yesterday that Indians in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were facing various problems relating to their work and wages and that the "matters are much worse" in the former.

Her initial response came following a tweet by a man who said around 800 Indians were starving for the last three days in Jeddah and sought her intervention. "I assure you that no Indian worker rendered unemployed in Saudi Arabia will go without food. I am monitoring this on hourly basis," she had said. She said a large number of Indians have lost their jobs in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and that their employers have not paid wages and closed down their factories.