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Ukraine, a global producer and exporter of grain and oilseeds, has sent its first batch of food aid to Syria, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 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, which is 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," Zelenskyy 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. However, Russian and Syrian sources said earlier this month that Russian wheat supplies to Syria had been suspended because of uncertainty.

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

(Reuters)