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Dibas Shrestha was a 29-year-old security guard in Abu Dhabi. In March 2026, shrapnel from an intercepted Iranian missile killed him. He was Nepali but he could just as easily have been Indian.

Over 220,000 Indian nationals have been repatriated from the Gulf since the US and Israeli strikes on Iran began in late February. Many more are still there. At least two Indian workers have been confirmed dead in the UAE from falling missile debris. Two more died in Oman. 

Recently, an Indian seafarer stranded on a vessel at Iran’s Bandar Abbas port filmed a video message recently. “Continuous bombing is taking place”, he said. “Our company is listening to us.” 

Across South Asia, millions of migrants receive Gulf remittances – contributing to 26% of Nepal’s GDP (2024), 6.6% of Bangladesh’s, and similar levels in Sri Lanka and Pakistan. While India’s share from the Gulf is smaller, it is still the world’s largest recipient of remittances, with more than eight million citizens working in Gulf countries. 

Their income fuels households across........

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