Qatar World Cup Costs 6,500 Workers Their Lives

[ObsidianJones]

Revealed: 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since World Cup awarded

Guardian analysis indicates shocking figure over the past decade likely to be an underestimate

www.theguardian.com

More than 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have died in Qatar since it won the right to host the World Cup 10 years ago, the Guardian can reveal.

The findings, compiled from government sources, mean an average of 12 migrant workers from these five south Asian nations have died each week since the night in December 2010 when the streets of Doha were filled with ecstatic crowds celebrating Qatar’s victory.

Data from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka revealed there were 5,927 deaths of migrant workers in the period 2011–2020. Separately, data from Pakistan’s embassy in Qatar reported a further 824 deaths of Pakistani workers, between 2010 and 2020.

Mohammad Shahid Miah, 29, from Bangladesh, died when floodwater in his room came into contact with an exposed electric cable, electrocuting him.
The total death toll is significantly higher, as these figures do not include deaths from a number of countries which send large numbers of workers to Qatar, including the Philippines and Kenya. Deaths that occurred in the final months of 2020 are also not included.

In the past 10 years, Qatar has embarked on an unprecedented building programme, largely in preparation for the football tournament in 2022. In addition to seven new stadiums, dozens of major projects have been completed or are under way, including a new airport, roads, public transport systems, hotels and a new city, which will host the World Cup final.

This is... for a stupid game... of one ball... and two goals.

And it cost 6,500 lives.

Anyone who plays in this world cup, who steps in it, who goes there because they must have a beer and watch a game that can be played anywhere else that there wasn't a grievous lost of life so ostensibly rich people could have even more bragging rights?

You condone this. Not only that, you are as culpable, because you proved these people right: That human life doesn't matter because people will place their delights higher than anything else. Including and especially humanity.

 

[tippy2k2]

The shittiest part is I imagine there's not one person who is shocked by this.

The only ones who seemed to think this was a great idea were people in FIFA choosing the site location and in another shocking twist, didn't a bunch of them also get in a ton of trouble for taking bribes?

 

[MrCalavera]

I'm a very casual football fan. And by "very" i mean: Every two years i watch World Cup/Euro transmissions, and then practically forget about it till next one.

I'll be skipping that this year.

Fuck this, fuck the Qatari goverment for allowing it, and especially Fuck FIFA. I didn't think they could be more despicable organization, and yet here we are.

 

[McElroy]

I've read it's still a safer environment than regular construction sites in India. Still a useless fact for the dead workers.

 

[SilentPony]

The shittiest part is I imagine there's not one person who is shocked by this.

The only ones who seemed to think this was a great idea were people in FIFA choosing the site location and in another shocking twist, didn't a bunch of them also get in a ton of trouble for taking bribes?

Its FIFA. The whole thing is about taking bribes and overpowering Governments with the fanaticism of football fans. I think it was John Oliver that did a special on it I think it was the Brazil games, where FIFA like set up their own criminal courts with their own laws and applied their own sentencing rulings. FIFA basically thinks of itself as roaming independent state that occasionally graces a country with its presence, and completely rat fucks the locals.

 

[XsjadoBlayde]

The cost of low regulation and corporate greed exploiting desperate impoverished people repeatedly, consistently comes to this.

 

[SilentPony]

The cost of low regulation and corporate greed exploiting desperate impoverished people repeatedly, consistently comes to this.

Also lets not give the fanaticism and unhealthy adoration aimed at professional sports teams and players a pass. FIFA wouldn't be able to get away with this shit if football wasn't considered a religion in so many countries. The amount of abuse Brazil allowed to happen to its people speaks volumes to how fanatic people are over this sport.
And that's not to excuse or forgive any of the shit the NFL or any American sports leagues get away with. Too many people anesthetize themselves with sports and living vicariously through the achievements of others. How many times have we heard fans say they're part of the team? They're not, and that belief in part leads to the fanaticism professional sports gets.

 

[Baffle]

Everyone pretty much knew this would happen if it went to Qatar, including the people that gave it to Qatar.

 

[Agema]

Surely not. Qatar claims it's only about 40 and they'd know best as it's their country amirite?

 

[Bob_McMillan]

How many more workers will die when the games actually happen? I'd imagine all the precautions they're taking to ensure the audience and players don't all die of heatstroke won't be available to them.

 

[SilentPony]

How many more workers will die when the games actually happen? I'd imagine all the precautions they're taking to ensure the audience and players don't all die of heatstroke won't be available to them.

And all of that is assuming Qatar is following Covid safety measures and this isn't going to be a giant international Covid super spreader event on par with the Olympics this year.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

And all of that is assuming Qatar is following Covid safety measures and this isn't going to be a giant international Covid super spreader event on par with the Olympics this year.

Very true. I'd expect the audience and the players to all have been vaccinated by then, being rich fucks, but who knows about the workers. But hey, I don't know how their vaccination programs are.

 

[Mister Mumbler]

How many more workers will die when the games actually happen? I'd imagine all the precautions they're taking to ensure the audience and players don't all die of heatstroke won't be available to them.

Honestly worried about the structure itself collapsing too; 6,500 deaths doesn't sound like the type of place where a lot of thought has gone into the engineering, you know?

 

[SilentPony]

Very true. I'd expect the audience and the players to all have been vaccinated by then, being rich fucks, but who knows about the workers. But hey, I don't know how their vaccination programs are.

I should also point out Qatar has never placed higher than 51 in the FIFA ranking and that was over 25 years ago, and at the time they bought the world cup they were ranked 113th world wide, and now suddenly by buying the world cup they automatically get a spot in the top 32. Its like the in Olympics where the hosting country in guaranteed a spot in every event, regardless of team qualifications.

 

[Wintermute]

100 deaths / game, in case you're not a sportsball fan.

 

[Samtemdo8]

6,500 died to build a Football stadium?

 

[Bob_McMillan]

6,500 died to build a Football stadium?

Not just that, other supporting infrastructure as well. Roads, bridges, housing, etc. Which will all totally still be used after the games.

 

[Wintermute]

6,500 died to build a Football stadium?

Please, give them some credit, they built like 10 or 12.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

The cost of low regulation and corporate greed exploiting desperate impoverished people repeatedly, consistently comes to this.

Surely the lives of several thousand poor people are a preferable price when compared to making obscenely wealthy people infinitesimally less wealthy with silly things like "safety equipment" and "acceptable work environments", no?

 

[Gergar12]

We need to sanction them, and at least half the region.