Concern over 8,000 Sri Lankan caregivers in Israel- By Leon Berenger

The Government is monitoring the well-being of Sri Lankans in Israeli following the outbreak of a full scale war between Tel Aviv and Islamic militants across that country’s borders, officials said yesterday.

According to the officials, there are an estimated 8,000 Sri Lankans currently employed in the Jewish State, most of them being women holding on to caregiver jobs.

“As of now, three Sri Lankans remain unaccounted after militants from the Hamas militant group in Gaza stormed Israeli settlements along the border on Saturday last week killing more than 1,000 civilians including families with women and children.

Deputy General Manager Training at the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) Senarath Yapa told the Sunday Observer that most of the Sri Lankan workers are known to be based in the Israeli capital, Tel Aviv and the immediate suburbs and some may have been placed in the border settlements that came under attack by the militants”.

Yapa who is also accredited as the official spokesperson of the SLFBE said that his office has been in contact with the Foreign Office in Colombo and the Sri Lankan Mission in Tel Aviv to seek explicit information on the Sri Lankans working in that country.

“Apart from that, there is also a sizeable number of undocumented Sri Lankans that had crossed into Israel from the Jordan border in recent times seeking employment in that country.

Tracing them would be an uphill task since they are believed to be spread throughout the country that includes agriculture farms based in the volatile Israel-Lebanon border.

Sporadic clashes between Israeli troops and Islamic militants belonging to the Hizbullah group have also erupted along the Israel-Lebanon border following the Hamaz raid on Israeli settlements.

If there are any Sri Lankans in this area, then their whereabouts or well-being cannot be reached owing to the ongoing turbulent situation in the region”, Yapa said.

Thousands of persons have been killed and injured since fighting between both sides broke out on Saturday last week as analysts warn of a full blown war in the region.

Some 120 Sri Lankan security force personnel, both male and female are currently based with the UN Keeping Force in Lebanon which is mostly likely to be caught up in the fighting between the Israeli defence forces and Islamic militants, a senior official said.

He said the Sri Lankan contingent is currently based in the Lebanon capital which is a safe distance from the volatile borders where skirmishes between the warring factions are continuing.

The Sri Lankan contingent has been based in that country since 2010.

It serves as a ‘Protection Company’ and its prime role is to ensure the security of the force headquarters compound where all command elements, branches and all key personnel including the Head of Mission and force commander are accommodated.