Zelensky previously announced that Ukraine would provide 500 tons of food aid to Syria [Getty]
Ukraine has called on Qatar and Switzerland to support its food aid programme to Syria which in December saw the delivery of 500 metric tons of wheat flour to the war-torn country.
In a call with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed support for Syria, inviting Qatar into the initiative.
“I invited Qatar to support the humanitarian initiative Food from Ukraine to provide further assistance to Syria,” a statement from Zelensky’s official Telegram channel published on Wednesday said.
Qatar has separately sent 262 tonnes of food aid to Syria in nine military aircraft, The New Arab’s affiliate Syria TV reported on Friday.
Zelensky also thanked Qatar for partaking in the Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland last June and for helping return 53 Ukrainian children.
The Ukrainian president previously also sent an invitation to Switzerland to partake in the programme.
“Ukrainian food and financial participation of Switzerland – along with our other partners in this humanitarian program – is something that can help the Syrian people to establish a normal life after the war, and importantly, after Russia’s presence in Syria,” Zelensky said in an address to the Ukrainian people on Tuesday.
On 27 December Zelensky said that Ukraine was providing 500 metric tons of wheat flour to Syria. He previously announced the initiative on 14 December.
The aid comes following the ousting of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad by Islamist-led rebels on 8 December.
As well as food aid, Ukraine has also made diplomatic overtures to Syria’s new transitional government, with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha visiting Damascus on 30 December.
