Ukraine, as a major producer and exporter of grain and oilseeds, sent its first food aid package to Syria, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced, quoted by Reuters and BTA.
Zelensky confirmed that 500 tons of wheat flour are already being transported to Syria as part of the Ukrainian initiative "Grain from Ukraine", implemented in cooperation with the UN World Food Program.
He specified that the goal is for the wheat flour to reach 33,250 families, or a total of 167,000 people, in the next few weeks. Each package weighs 15 kg and will be enough to feed a family of 5 for a month.
After the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, a long-time ally of Russia, Ukraine has expressed its desire to restore relations with Syria. Traditionally, Kiev exports wheat and corn to countries in the Middle East, but not to Syria.
During Assad's rule, Syria imported mainly food from Russia, but Russian wheat supplies were suspended due to the insecure situation in the region.
Although Ukrainian exports were suspended after the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine was eventually able to restore its supplies through the port of Odessa.