Dubai: Sixty-four distressed Indian female workers in Kuwait have been moved to a government-run shelter where they would be provided with free lodging and medical treatment.

Kuwait’s Public Authority for Manpower opened a shelter for expatriate female workers in the country Jleeb Al Shuwaikh (Abbasiya) from December 23 last year, the Indian embassy in Kuwait said in a statement.

The shelter is providing free lodging and medical treatment, the statement said.

“Any distressed Indian female domestic worker who is in need of accommodation in Kuwaiti Government shelter, can contact the Embassy of India in Kuwait on a working day before 1200 hrs for her transfer to the above shelter, after completion of formalities at the Embassy,” the statement said.

However, the Kuwait government shelter will not accept any pregnant female domestic worker.

Around two million domestic workers are employed in the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The majority come from the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Ethiopia to cook, clean households and care for children.

Kuwait is home to over 660,000 domestic workers, according to a Human Rights Watch report.