Torrential rains in Kuwait

For the first time in scores of years, Kuwait has experienced massive rains resulting in many road accidents and deaths.

A total of 27 road accidents took place in one day in various parts of the country. A Kuwaiti, an Indian and Pakistani died in said accidents while another two Kuwaitis and one Ethiopian died after having been struck by lighting.

While these may be deemed ordinary daily occurrences in tropical countries like the Philippines, they are extraordinary events in the Gulf, where water is more expensive than gasoline.

People were seen dancing in the streets, as if exulting in ecstatic joy due to what was seen as blessing from Allah. But much to their dismay, these calamities brought tragedy and shock.

From the hottest to the coldest

Kuwait, where we are posted for the last 18 months already, is known as the country with the hottest temperature in the entire Arabian Peninsula and in the Gulf Area.

In the mid August, the temperature rose to 55° degrees. Today it has plunged into 7° degrees. By January, it shall be below zero. I shudder to even think of Kuwait becoming like Canada or London.

These temperatures pose a grave and imminent danger to the health, safety and welfare of OFWs.

We have Filipino workers doing dredging and drilling operations in the desert. We have construction workers and field electricians. Sailors out in the seas, and 65,000 domestic helpers, a few of whom are working inside the tents of Kuwaitis somewhere out there in the desert.

Definitely, these changes in the weather patterns do bring a lot of difficulties to the OFWs. It would entail more DOLE and OWWA programs to protect our citizens. It would also mean more expenses on the part of the foreign posts and more work for us. Indeed, the global change in our weather is "an inconvenient truth", which we have to squarely face and grapple with.

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