Ukraine, one of the largest producers and exporters of grain and oilseeds, has sent its first batch of humanitarian aid to Syria, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday, Reuters reports.
Zelenskyy said that 500 tonnes of wheat flour had already been sent to Syria as part of the Grain from Ukraine humanitarian initiative with the support of the UN Food Programme. According to him, this flour will be distributed to 33,250 families, or about 167,000 people, in the coming weeks. “Each package weighs 15 kilograms and can provide food for a family of five for a month,” Zelensky added in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The shipment is part of Ukraine’s humanitarian aid to Syria following the ouster of Russia’s ally Bashar al-Assad. Ukraine has traditionally exported wheat and corn to the Middle East, but has not supplied food to Syria until now.
Syria used to import food from Russia, but due to the volatility of Russian grain supplies to Syria, sources reported that these supplies were suspended. At the same time, Ukrainian exports were severely disrupted by Russia’s invasion in February 2022, which significantly limited supplies through the Black Sea. However, Ukraine was able to break the de facto blockade and resume exports through the southern port of Odesa.
