An organisation that helps women trafficked to Lebanon to work as domestic workers has asked African governments to repatriate them.
The organisation, This is Lebanon, said women had complained of being abused and were extremely traumatised.
It wants African governments to apply pressure on Lebanese authorities to release the women from abusive employers.
The high demand for domestic workers in the Middle East is thought to be a significant draw for poor women in Africa.
A representative of the organisation said 94% of Lebanon’s migrant domestic workers are not in possession of their passports.
A Sierra Leonean domestic worker in Lebanon narrated her experience to the BBC:
Quote Message: My madam gave me only bread, cheese and water once a day. I would start work at 6am and won’t be allowed to rest until 2am. There was a time I fell ill because of the stress and I told my employer that I was too weak to work.
Quote Message: She gave me panadol and pulled a knife on me, that I must work or else she would kill me. I worked for eight months with that family and was not paid.’’
Source:Fiilafmonline/BBC
