The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said seven Filipino workers were hurt in attacks across Saudi Arabia, where nearly one million Filipinos live, while official reports differed on how many were critical.
On Oct. 19, the DFA attributed the injury tally to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and said three workers were in critical condition. It said Philippine agencies were coordinating with Saudi authorities to arrange medical care.
That count differs from what Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said Oct. 16: three workers were in intensive care, with one in critical condition. He said four of the seven had been discharged by then. The DMW was providing medical and financial assistance, and the workers’ return to the Philippines depended on treatment and clearance to travel, Cacdac said.
The DFA advised Filipinos in Saudi Arabia to follow local authorities’ directions and stay in contact with Philippine diplomatic missions. It also called for talks to end the hostilities, saying the attacks threatened regional stability.
The DFA described attacks in several areas of Saudi Arabia but did not specify where each of the seven workers was injured. Separately, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation initially reported 12 deaths and 309 injuries from the Oct. 10 attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. The Associated Press later reported at least 13 deaths and more than 300 injuries, citing two regional officials.
