A charity Christmas tree made up of milk tins and canned foods which will be donated to the needy across Greece, in particular children, was erected in the centre of Athens on Friday, sending out a message of solidarity with the most affected by the debt crisis.

For a third consecutive year, the Greek branch of the international non government organization "Doctors without Borders" and other activists called on Athenians to contribute to the creation of an alternative Christmas tree by offering as ornaments food products, ranging from bottles of olive oil to rice, pasta and beans.

"The aim is that no child will be left alone and helpless this Christmas, that all children in Greece will be able to celebrate by enjoying at least a glass of milk and a nice meal, that the spirit of Christmas, solidarity and love, will be kept alive," organizers explained.

From Friday morning until late in the evening, donations had flooded the yard of the old university in the center of the Greek capital.

Last year, 25,000 milk tins (up from 5,000 cans in 2010, the first year of the event) and three tones of other food products were collected for households suffering from the financial hardship.

Hit hard by an acute debt crisis since late 2009 and stepping back from the brink of default with the aid of international lenders, Greece suffers from deep recession.

Despite progress steps made recently in efforts to exit the crisis, this winter is expected to be difficult for many, until the economy recovers, organizers said.

According to various estimates from official services and non government organizations, unemployment and poverty rates have increased over the past three years and thousands people are in need of charity meals. Endi

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