Tensions in the Middle East have Nepal on high alert, with interim PM Sushila Karki directly engaging Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani to address threats to 357,913 compatriots living there. Thursday’s call came against a backdrop of US-Israel offensives met by Iranian counterstrikes, disrupting life in Gulf hotspots.
Qatar ranks third for Nepali residents—mostly migrant workers—after UAE and Saudi hubs, part of a 1.7-million-strong presence in 12 nations. Strikes have reportedly hit civilian services, spiking worries for their well-being.
The PM’s office statement revealed Karki’s appreciation for Doha’s safeguards: ‘It’s heartening they remain secure and supported.’ Yet, she pointed to intensifying pressures, with Qatar bearing the brunt due to hosting America’s premier regional airbase amid drone assaults.
Vowing vigilant oversight, Karki pressed for calm, escalation halts, and people-first measures. She invoked sacred international frameworks—the UN Charter, legal precedents, Geneva protocols, humanitarian edicts—declaring dialogue the only antidote to conflict’s poison.
Karki stood in unity with Qatar against strikes on its non-combat zones, as talks pivoted to deepening ties: summitry, economic synergies, cultural affinities, interpersonal warmth.
Al-Thani hailed enduring friendship, credited Nepalis for Qatar’s progress, and guaranteed equivalent security. Deeming the situation lamentable, he stressed self-preservation within peaceful bounds, opposing destabilizing acts.