Zaha Hadid, the starchitect behind the design of Qatar's Al Wakrah Stadium for the FIFA World Cup 2022, defended her involvement in the project, claiming it is not her duty to look into the staggering number of migrant construction worker deaths in the country.
Since January 2012, more than 500 Indian and 385 Nepali construction workers have died. While the identities or location of where they worked were not revealed, a look into the cause of death showed they either died of sudden heart failure or construction accidents, reports The Guardian.
At the recent re-opening of the Olympics aquatics center in London, Hadid said it was the responsibility of the Qatari government and not the architects to take care of the mounting number of worker deaths, reports Dezeen.
"I have nothing to do with the workers. I think that's an issue the government - if there's a problem - should pick up. Hopefully, these things will be resolved," she said.
"It's not my duty as an architect to look at it. I cannot do anything about it because I have no power to do anything about it. I think it's a problem anywhere in the world. But, as I said, I think there are discrepancies all over the world," she added.
When asked if she was bothered about the deaths, she replied: "Yes, but I'm more concerned about the deaths in Iraq as well, so what do I do about that? I'm not taking it lightly but I think it's for the government to look to take care of."
Earlier this month, the Qatar Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy introduced a workers' charter to protect immigrant worker rights after it came under pressure from international human rights workers. The country's "Kafala" system, which ties migrant workers to sponsor companies, was blamed for the abuse, with some calling for its abolishment, The Telegraph reports.
Hadid welcomed the new charter, saying the "discrepancies" must be "ironed out" and should be solved one step at a time.
This is not the first time Hadid has come under the public scanner. In November, the starchitect was the subject of media bashing after design critics across the world compared the designs of the Al-Wakrah Stadium to female genitalia - accusations Hadid dismissed as "ridiculous."
