Hawzah News Agency - Muslim charity workers are spending the festive season supplying hot food and snack boxes to lorry drivers stuck at Dover.

Over 420 meals and boxes of snacks have been provided to those stuck in parked queues along the hard shoulder of the M20 and further meals will be delivered over the coming days, according to The Muslim Charities Forum (MCF).

This scale-up will involve delivering over 3,000 meals per day over the festive period to drivers who will be isolated and away from their families during the holiday period.

More than 1,000 lorries have left the UK since Wednesday evening but many are still trapped at the port of Dover.

The drivers were stranded after France introduced travel restrictions on hauliers crossing the Channel following the emergence of a new mutated strain of coronavirus in the UK.

MCF CEO Fadi Itani said: “This is a deeply desperate situation for numerous drivers that will be unexpectedly spending Christmas and the New Year away from their families. Through this COVID crisis, drivers and truckers have been hugely important in keeping this country moving through the delivery of essential goods. It is only right that in this time where they need support, that we come together to provide them with food, water and essential supplies in appreciation for the vital service.”

Meanwhile, the Al Khair Foundation prepared over 400 lunches of chicken stew and rice as well as hundreds of snack boxes containing drinks, crisps, biscuits and a cereal bar.

The supplies were driven from London down to the coast on Thursday to feed the hungry truckers.

Police provided an escort to the charity workers so the meals and boxes could be safely delivered to each lorry driver stuck along seven miles of motorway.

Al Khair Foundation Head of Special Projects, Imran, Nisar said: “We plan to keep delivering until all the truckers have gone home – even on Christmas Day if necessary. Some of them don’t even have water in their cabs so these supplies are making a big difference to them and also raises their morale. They were so grateful for some basic supplies and a hot meal while they wait to be able to move and go home.”