KARACHI: The health of Onija Andrew Robbins, as American woman who travelled to Pakistan for ‘love’, has reportedly deteriorated.
After being denied accommodation by various hostel and guesthouse owners, she has been placed in the care of a welfare organisation.
Read more: Japan’s sinkhole saga: Rescue efforts in chaos
According to local law enforcement, Robbins was brought to a social office on Shahra-e-Faisal by a social leader after her situation became critical.
The head of the welfare organisation reported that Robbins had been at the Tipu Sultan police station, where her health declined due to a lack of rest and proper care.
The organisation has reportedly offered her a place to stay, with assurances that she can remain as long as necessary. Female volunteers from the organisation will provide support and ‘company’ during her stay.
A mother of two, the American woman fell in ‘love’ with a 19-year-old boy from Pakistan, Nidal Ahmed Memon, a resident of Karachi’s Garden area, through social media.
Following their online ‘connection’, she arrived in Karachi on October 11, hoping to pursue a relationship with the teenager.
Although he expressed a willingness to marry her, the mother of two faced huge opposition from the boy’s family, who refused to support the marriage.
During her time in Karachi, Robbins encountered several issues in for a foreign land. After her visit visa expired, she was handed over to the airport police by the Airport Security Force (ASF). A non-governmental organisation (NGO) had previously offered her a ticket to return to the United States and apparently even provided her financial assistance.
However, the enamoured woman declined the offer. Instead, she chose to stay near Memon’s residence, where she reportedly camped out in the building.
In her interactions with authorities, Robbins has made very specific demands, including a request for Pakistani citizenship and a weekly financial support of $3,000, in a country with per capita income of $1,588.
Her situation immediately drew the attention of several media outlets, with many netizens online discussing the complexities of cross-cultural relationships, partnerships with a large age-gap especially with the woman as the older partner, and the trials faced by people navigating love and legalities in foreign countries.
Read more: Carrot cake: the sweetness, the spice and that perfect velvety bite!
Concerned netizens online expressed their worries about Robbins’ mental health condition, in particular her decision to leave behind two children in search of a young man she only knew online.