Twenty-two Nepali youths, who had gone to Saudi Arabia for employment, have been stranded without any job, proper food or accommodation for the past 20 days.

Their family members organised a press conference at Birtamod in Jhapa on Saturday and appealed to the government to rescue their relatives.

The victims left for Saudi Arabia on April 17 via Jupiter Overseas to work for an airport cargo centre. Upon reaching their destination, a person had come to receive them at the airport, but he reportedly stranded them and went out of contact.

Each of them had paid Rs 100,000 to the manpower agency for mediating their employment. It is learnt that the victims have been kept like detainees in a building somewhere near the Jordanian border.

“When we landed here, we learnt that we’re brought for a different job,” victim Prem Prasad Pokharel claimed over telephone. “We have been kept like prisoners without proper food or water.”

The victims are from various districts such as Jhapa, Sunsari, Panchthar, Arghakhanchi, Rupandehi and Kathmandu.

They complained that the manpower representatives had ignored their plea for rescue when contacted.

“We appeal to the concerned party to sense our plight and take initiatives for our return,” said another victim Medhraj Panchkoti.

Chaitanya Subba, proprietor of Jupiter Overseas, said they were doing their part to repatriate the victims.

Published on: 6 May 2012 | The Kathmandu Post