Ukraine sends wheat to relieve hunger in Gaza

Kyiv joined an international effort to assist the war-hit Palestinian territory with an initial delivery of 1,000 tonnes

A harvester loads wheat into a lorry near Malopolovetske, 100km from Kyiv. AFP

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Ukraine has sent 1,000 tonnes of wheat to Gaza through Jordan as part of a 7,000-tonne package for the war-battered Palestinian territory.

The shipment, announced by the Ukrainian embassy in Amman, is Kyiv's first participation in the international effort to assist more than two million people struggling with acute shortages of food, water, fuel, medical care and shelter after nine months of war.

Jordan, together with Egypt, has acted as a launch pad for aid into Gaza amid Israeli restrictions on aid deliveries since the war began in October.

The Ukrainian embassy said wheat was sent from Jordan to Gaza through Israel, using a land corridor partly overseen by the UN World Food Programme. Another 6,000 tonnes earmarked “for Palestine” will follow.

“We will do whatever we can to guarantee that the victims of the war in Palestine don't suffer from hunger,” said Myroslava Shcherbatiuk, Ukraine's ambassador to Jordan.

“We hope that the cargo will help people in need in Gaza receive essential food and show our solidarity,” she added.

“Ukraine stands with the people of Gaza and for the two-state solution in this decades-long conflict.”

The aid is part of the Grain from Ukraine programme launched by Kyiv two years ago to supply wheat to international organisations and directly to countries facing food shortages. Under the programme, grain has been shipped to Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, Nigeria, Lebanon and other countries.

Ukraine is one of the largest exporters of wheat but flows have been affected by Russia's invasion in February 2022 and a subsequent blockade of its Black Sea ports.

According to Ukraine's agriculture ministry, grain production in 2024 is expected to drop to 52.4 million tonnes, from 60 million tonnes in 2023.

Kyiv has been making diplomatic efforts to try to change perceptions of the war in Jordan and other Arab countries.

These countries have largely refrained from criticising Russia but most voted in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution that condemned the invasion and demanded an immediate Russian withdrawal.

Russia and Iran, which has been a main ally of Moscow in the Ukraine war, project a tough pro-Palestinian stance.