Over 2,500 OFWs affected by Middle East crisis receive cash aid — DSWD

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced on Monday that more than 2,500 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) affected by the Middle East crisis received cash relief assistance (CRA).

The agency facilitated the safe return of 2,110 repatriated individuals who were also with psychosocial first aid (PFA) upon arrival in the country.

“Every OFW who arrives is immediately assessed by DSWD social workers to determine what other interventions they may need,” Assistant Secretary Dumlao said in Filipino.

OFWs who received assistance came from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Israel, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar.

Additionally, 409 OFWs stranded at airports also received psychosocial first aid. These individuals were stranded in airports in the UAE, KSA, Bahrain, Kuwait, Ireland, Portugal, Iraq, and Oman due to travel restrictions caused by the ongoing conflict in the Gulf region.

Meanwhile, the DSWD also provided over PHP 1 million in financial assistance to 203 repatriated OFWs, as well as medical assistance worth PHP 300,000 to one OFW.

The agency has also started providing livelihood assistance to returning OFWs, with five beneficiaries receiving PHP 20,000 each under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) to help them start small livelihoods.

“Field Offices continue to coordinate with concerned government agencies to extend assistance to other arriving OFWs,” the DSWD spokesperson said in Filipino.

“Filipinos can be assured that the DSWD continues to coordinate with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and Department of Health (DOH) to provide appropriate assistance to repatriated OFWs,” Dumlao added in Filipino.