ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A group of Kurds in the UK paid tribute to local health workers by providing free food for over 250 people on World Health Day, commemorated on April 7.



Rizgar Mamali, a restaurant owner in the city of Stoke-on-Trent told Rudaw that his staff prepared food, including chicken shawarma and salad, for 250 workers at Royal Stoke University Hospital.



"We did this to pay respect to the hard work of health workers at this difficult time," Mamali added.

Mamali and his staff, of Stoke-on-Trent’s EAT N GO restaurant are originally from the town of Hajiyawa in Ranya, Sulaimani province.



He added in addition to health workers, they provided food to 25 local residents with disabilities, who are struggling to go out and get food.



World Health Day is a global awareness day celebrated every year on April 7, sponsored by the World Health Organization.



Mamali, who has been living in the UK for 20 years, published photos of him and his colleagues while preparing the meal for hospital staff.



"The aim of publishing these photos was to encourage other restaurants to imitate us," he added. "In the majority of cities in Britain, we have good business owners who wish to assist health workers," he added.



130 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Stoke-on-Trent, according to data from Public Health England.



As of Thursday morning, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the UK has climbed to 60,733, with 7,097 deaths.

Translated by Zhelwan Z. Wali