Ukraine sends food aid to Syria, says Zelenskiy

KYIV (Reuters) – Ukraine, a global producer and exporter of grain and oilseeds, has sent its first batch of food aid to Syria, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday.

Zelenskiy said that 500 metric tons of wheat flour were already on their way to Syria as part of Ukraine’s humanitarian “Grain from Ukraine” initiative in cooperation with the United Nations World Food Programme.

“The wheat flour is planned to be distributed to 33,250 families or 167,000 people, in the coming weeks,” Zelenskiy said on X, adding: “Each package weighs 15 kilograms and can feed a family of five for one month.”

After the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, a close Russian ally, Ukraine has said it wants to restore relations with Syria.

Kyiv traditionally exports wheat and corn to countries in the Middle East, but not to Syria.

During Assad’s era, Syria imported food from Russia. But Russian wheat supplies to Syria have been suspended because of uncertainty, Russian and Syrian sources said earlier this month.

Ukraine’s exports were disrupted by Russia’s February 2022 invasion, which severely reduced shipments via the Black Sea. Ukraine has since broken a de facto sea blockade and revived exports from its southern port of Odesa.

(Reporting by Olena Harmash; Editing by Alexander Smith)