Saudi Arabia sends 11th aid plane to Ukraine

The total support provided to Ukraine amounted to $410 million, including medical and shelter assistance for people who took refuge in neighboring countries, especially Poland. (SPA)
Short Url
  • The support embodies the keenness of the Saudi government to support Ukraine and its people in facing the social and economic challenges that the country is going through

RZESZOW, Poland: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has carried out its 11th aid delivery to Ukraine, transporting almost 80 tons of food, medicine and household appliances to the war-torn country.

The KSrelief cargo aircraft early on Friday departed from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, arriving in Poland’s Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport hours later.

After arrival, the aircraft’s cargo was unloaded and transported to a warehouse for temporary storage.

From the warehouse, the aid materials — including blankets, generators, refrigerators and other essential materials — were loaded onto seven trucks that journeyed to the Poland-Ukraine border.




Saad bin Saleh Al-Saleh, Saudi Ambassador to the Republic of Poland, and a KSrelief logistics team accompanied the Saudi delegation. (SPA)

The aid was then distributed to businesses and orphanages by the UAIM Humanitarian Fund — a local KSrelief partner working to ensure aid reaches Ukrainians in need.

Felix Carav, a representative from the fund, extended his gratitude to the Kingdom and its leadership for supporting Ukraine with urgent humanitarian aid.

The Saudi ambassador to Ukraine, Mohammed Al-Mussher Al-Jibreen, told Arab News: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is keen, under the directives of King Salman and the supervision of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to provide developmental and humanitarian support to all countries and peoples without discrimination.

“This comes as part of Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian role and its global mission in this field, and through the air bridge that encompasses 18 aircraft carrying food, medical equipment, and electronics, baby milk, blankets, and electric appliances, to relieve the suffering of the Ukrainian people inside Ukraine and abroad, in this harsh weather, especially now that we are in winter.”

In a statement, KSrelief chief Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said: “We will continue to send aid as long as it is needed, and pray for the end of hostilities and its impact on innocent people.”

In October 2022, the Kingdom pledged $400 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including a joint cooperation program co-signed by KSrelief and Kyiv covering $100 million in relief. The latest aid delivery is part of the latter program.

KSrelief, in its mission statement, pledges to alleviate the suffering of civilians around the world based on the guiding principle of preserving life.

Since its establishment in 2015, the center has provided more than $2 billion in food security to dozens of countries around the world.