TUNISIA: European volunteers cook hot meals for Libya evacuees at Tunisian border camp

Record ID: 345749

  • Title: TUNISIA: European volunteers cook hot meals for Libya evacuees at Tunisian border camp
  • Date: 10th March 2011
  • Summary: RAS JDIR, TUNISIA (MARCH 9, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EVACUEES QUEUING FOR HOT FOOD TUNISIAN SOLDIERS TRYING TO SET UP QUEUE FOR FOOD DISTRIBUTION FOREIGN VOLUNTEERS ORGANIZING QUEUE FOR FOOD FOREIGN VOLUNTEERS DISTRIBUTING FOOD FOR EVACUEES FOOD BEING DELIVERED TO EVACUEES (SOUNDBITE) (English) MATHEW, UK VOLUNTEER, SAYING: ''There are so many people and you can't get through everyone but you're still gonna try.'' FOREIGN VOLUNTEERS IN FOOD CANTEEN (SOUNDBITE) (French) UNIDENTIFIED BRAZILIAN VOLUNTEER, SAYING: ''We found that the people who are coming are happy to receive some food and some water and to have at least one meal a day.'' VOLUNTEERS PREPARING MORE FOOD (SOUNDBITE) (English) ELIEZER CAMARGO, ORGANISATION HEAD FROM BRAZIL, SAYING: ''For the first day around 800 people but in the same day we have 2,000 people. So each day it becomes worse and we now are prepared to put (food) for 12,000 to 13,000 plates for the day.'' VOLUNTEER T-SHIRT (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHRIS, UK VOLUNTEER, SAYING: ''It's hard work, we are from many different countries but we are all very proud to work alongside Tunisians. There are people from Europe, from France, the UK, from North America, from South America." MORE OF EVACUEES IN QUEUE MAN EATING FROM PLATE ON THE GROUND
  • Embargoed: 25th March 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Tunisia, Tunisia
  • Country: Tunisia
  • Topics: International Relations,Social Services / Welfare
  • Reuters ID: LVA93X5NNV4V8HRXTK93GX5LKRN7
  • Story Text: European volunteers cook 12,000 meals on Wednesday (March 9) alone for Libya evacuees at Tunisian border camp.
    ACT (Association de Cooperation en Tunisie) is not a relief organization, but they cooked over 12,000 meals for evacuees at the camp near the border with Libya on Wednesday (March 9).
    Donations for evacuees fleeing Libya given by the locals have been very generous with goods piled up in various tents.
    ACT offered their services to the Tunisian army - turning the piles of donated goods into hot meals for thousands of evacuees staying at the camp.
    ''For the first day around 800 people but in the same day we have 2,000 people. So each day it becomes worse and we now are prepared to put (food) for 12,000 to 13,000 plates for the day,'' the Organisation head from Brazil told Reuters.
    The main meal of the day is pasta and sauce, cooked in very large pots and served by the volunteers from Europe and Latin America, as well as local volunteers.
    ''There are so many people and you can't get through everyone but you're still gonna try,'' Mathew said while serving the crowds.
    The queue looked like it would never end but the evacuees patiently waited for their share of the tent-cooked meal.
    Another volunteer said he was proud to work with Tunisians and extolled the spirit of cooperation between different nationalities.
    ''It's hard work, we are from many different countries but we are all very proud to work alongside Tunisians. There are people from Europe, from France, the UK, from North America, from South America,'' said Chris from the United Kingdom.
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