4 Filipino workers hurt in Najran shelling

RIYADH: Four Filipino workers in Najran suffered injuries as Yemeni rebels resumed mortar shelling at the Saudi-Yemen border, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz announced on Tuesday.
“The cross-border shelling hit military establishments and some residential areas,” the labor secretary said in Manila, citing a report by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO).
She added that one of the mortar shells had apparently hit the accommodations of staff of a Hyatt Hotel which, fortunately, only slightly injured four Filipinos who are now safe.
She directed the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to work with licensed recruitment agencies in mapping out additional safety measures for Filipino workers in Najran in the Kingdom. “POLO is requesting that POEA meet with Philippine recruitment agencies deploying Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to Najran so they can be updated and able to coordinate their actions with their foreign counterparts to ensure the safety of their workers there,” Baldoz said.
There are about 2,000 OFWs in Najran and half of them are working in hospitals.
“The Ministry of Health (MoH) in Najran estimates the number of OFWs working as staff in various MoH hospitals to be 711, in addition to 306 nurses and other medical staff at the Armed Forces Hospital,” a POLO report said.
The report added that other nurses were working in private hospitals and clinics across the city. The remaining OFWs are in the construction, services, maintenance and other sectors.
The report added that nine government-owned establishments, including Saudi Customs and the Saudi Electricity Co., were employing OFWs in Najran while 74 private business establishments had Filipinos working for them.