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This is a city, more often associated with the vast wealth of the financial worldbut more than 1,000 people lined up in the Swiss city of Geneva today to receive free food packages, reports The Guardian.
As a sign of The devastating effects of the COVID-19 epidemic in the poorest in Switzerland, including illegal immigrantspeople lined up tail about a kilometer long in front of an ice rink where volunteers have spread around 1500 food packages. Some of the people in line started arriving as early as 5 in the morning.
“At the end of the month, my pockets are empty.. We have to pay the bills, the insurance and everything, “said Ingrid Berala, a Geneva-based resident of Nicaragua who works part-time, adding:”This is great because there is food for a week, a week off … I don’t know about next week“
About 660,000 people in the country with a population of 8.6 million were poor in 2018, especially single parents and those with low education who cannot find a new job after losing their job.
More than 1.1 million people are at risk of poverty, which means that they receive less than 60% of the median income, which was 6,538 Swiss francs ($ 6,736) for full-time work in 2018.
Geneva is the second most expensive city in the world. to live for a family of 3, and only Zurich is more expensive. Although the average income is also high, it does not help people who are struggling to connect the two ends.
“I think many people know it, but it is different to see it with our own eyes,” said Silvana Matromateo, director of a humanitarian organization.
“We had people crying saying, ‘It can’t possibly happen in my country.’ But it’s here, and maybe COVID-19 shows everything and this is good because we will be able to take measures to support all these workers, because they are, above all, workers, “added Silvana Matromateo.
Patrick Wieland, head of the Doctors Without Borders mission, said a survey last week found that just over half of the food recipients interviewed were undocumented, while others had been granted legal status, were Swiss, or wanted asylum. Just over 3% of the population tested positive for COVID-19, a percentage three times higher in Geneva, which they attributed to poor and overcrowded housing.
An illegal immigrant said he lost his job at a restaurant during the crisis and that he had no salary. “I am very grateful to receive this help and if the situation changes for me, I am committed to doing what they do for me,” he promised.
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