Ukraine Sends Wheat Flour Assistance To Syria

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy/screenshot via Instagram @zelenskyy_official

JAKARTA - Ukraine, a producer and exporter of global vegetable grains and oils, sent first-wave food aid to Syria.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said 500 metric tons of wheat flour had been sent to Syria as part of Ukraine's Grain from Ukraine humanitarian initiative in collaboration with the United Nations World Food Program.

"The flour is planned to be distributed to 33,250 families or 167,000 people, in the coming weeks," Zelenskiy said on X.

"Each package weighs 15 kilograms and can feed a five-member family for one month," he added.

After Bashar al-Assad's ouster, Russia's close ally, Ukraine said it wanted to restore relations with Syria.

Kyiv is known to export wheat and corn to countries in the Middle East, but not to Syria.

In the Assad era, Syria imported food from Russia. But Russia's supply of wheat to Syria has been suspended due to uncertainty, Russian and Syrian sources said earlier this month.

Ukrainian exports were disrupted by the Russian invasion in February 2022, which greatly reduced shipments through the Black Sea.

Ukraine has since de facto-violating the sea blockade and revived exports from its southern port,