‘Between 400 and 500’ workers died on World Cup works, says head of organization

In an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan on Tuesday, Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy Secretary General Hassan Al-Thawadi said “between 400 and 500” migrant workers had died during related construction projects. to the 2022 World Cup.

The estimate is significantly higher than the previously reported number of deaths related to the more than US$200 billion (R$1.06 trillion) spent on stadiums, metro lines and other infrastructure needs.

“The estimate is around 400, between 400 and 500,” Al-Thawadi told Morgan. “I don’t have the exact number. This is something that has been discussed.”

Until this week, according to FIFA and the organizing committee, the official number of workers killed in World Cup works was 40, three of them directly in the stadium works.

Al-Thawadi also said, when he was in the Netherlands in July, that no more than three people had died. During a meeting at the Johan Cruijff Arena, he called stories about poor working conditions “a hoax” carried by Western media.

Prior to Morgan’s interview, a spokesperson for the Supreme Committee of Qatar released a statement with these figures: “There were three work-related deaths and 37 non-work-related deaths linked to the eight stadiums, 17 non-competition venues and other venues listed under the scope of the tournament”.

“Separate citations referring to the numbers refer to national statistics covering the period 2014-2020 for all work-related deaths (414) nationwide in Qatar, covering all sectors and nationalities,” the note concluded.

The World Cup, the first to be held in the Middle East, started on November 20 and runs through December 18.

“One death is one death too many, plain and simple,” Al-Thawadi told Morgan.

Despite the change in speech by the Qatari leader, the number between 400 and 500 dead is still far from what was reported by the British newspaper The Guardian, which cited a number of more than 6,500 last year. Amnesty International has always kept it at “hundreds, maybe even more”.

Pressed by the British journalist, Al-Thawadi agreed that working standards in Qatar were not good enough in the past, but said the current situation is recognized by international human rights bodies. “We realized this ourselves, even before we tried to win the World Cup. This perception stems from our own values. Improvements have been made in terms of health and safety, accommodation and the elimination of the kafala system,” he reports.

In June, Amnesty International released a report asking Qatar and FIFA to pay compensation to workers involved in infrastructure works for the World Cup.

Although it did not present a definitive amount, the entity defended that, to begin with, FIFA set aside US$ 440 million (R$ 2.1 billion) for this. This is the amount that the organization will distribute to the 32 teams participating in the tournament.

“FIFA and Qatar did not protect migrant workers, essential for the 2022 World Cup, but they can act to compensate those who were severely affected and the families of the many who died,” said Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, another entity sponsoring the report.