More than 1,000 queue for food handouts in rich Geneva
More than 1,000 people queued for free food parcels in Geneva on Saturday (May 9) .
It highlights the impact of the coronavirus even in wealthy Switzerland.
The line of people stretched for more than half a mile outside an ice rink where volunteers were handing out supplies.
Many started queuing as early as 5 am.
Ingrid Berala, originally from Nicaragua, works part-time and is finding it hard to make ends meet.
"If I don't have this help, at the end of the month we will be at zero in bank account. I am technically unemployed, so at the end of the month, my pockets will be empty. We have bills to pay, insurance, everything. And it is not just me, it is everybody. The food distribution is great, because there is food for a week, which is a week of relief. But I don't know about next week."
In a nation of nearly 8.6 million, over 10% were classed as poor in 2018, according to the charity Caritas.
Swiss bank UBS has calculated that Geneva is the second-most expensive global city for a family of three to live in.
While the average income is high, single parents, undocumented workers and those with a low level of education are particularly vulnerable.
