Colombo: Sri Lanka on January 30 said it has drawn up a contingency plan to evacuate
about 170,000 of its nationals employed in Kuwait in case a war breaks out in Iraq.
"Our main worry is Kuwait. If Kuwait is involved in the war, we will have a big
problem. But, we are ready with plans to bring back our workers from Kuwait," new
Labour Welfare Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena told reporters.
He said the government has plans to provide food and shelter to Sri Lankans working
in Kuwait who could be stranded in case of a war.
"The situation in other Gulf states today may not be that critical, still we have
alerted our missions and will operate helplines and helpdesks to deal with any
eventuality."
The minister said the number of Sri Lankans in Iraq was estimated at 1,000 to 1,500.
The total number of Sri Lankan migrant workers in the Middle East is estimated at
about a million.
The Labour Ministry will consider chartering aircraft to bring back Sri Lankans in
the event of war in Iraq, he said, adding the government will bring back its
nationals at state expense.
Sri Lankans employed abroad send home about $ 1 billion annually and it is the main
source of foreign exchange for the island.
On January 28, the government urged Iraq to co-operate with UN weapons inspections
and called for diplomatic efforts to peacefully resolve the crisis.
PTI
