Achham/baglung, March 5 -- As the ongoing war in the Persian Gulf reverberates across the region, the tremors are being felt far and wide. The families of Nepalis working in Gulf countries are anxious and glued to mobile phones and radio bulletins, fearing that a distant conflict could shatter their fragile lifelines.

Following attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel, Tehran has retaliated by targeting American military bases in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. The conflict has left the families of migrant workers restless.

Fifty-year-old Manasara Dhungana from ward 5 of Mangalsen Municipality in Achham hardly leaves her phone out of sight. Seated in the courtyard of her modest home, she s...