Ibrahim Khazen
06 January 2025•Update: 06 January 2025
ISTANBUL
Saudi Arabia and Qatar supplied on Monday humanitarian aid to those in need in Syria, the war-torn country where the Assad regime fell in December.
Qatar's Foreign Ministry in a statement said an armed forces plane landed at the Damascus International Airport, carrying aid from the Qatar Fund For Development and the Qatar Charity.
"The 23 tons of food and shelter aid continues the Qatar-operated air bridge to provide relief and address Syrians' humanitarian conditions," the statement said.
"The third to touch down at Damascus Airport and the eighth within the Qatari air bridge, the aircraft affirms the State of Qatar's great interest and full support for Syrian people."
The first plane arrived in late December, followed by a second in early January. The other five flights reached Syria through Türkiye, Lebanon, and Jordan.
Separately, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said 60 Saudi relief trucks entered Syria through the Nasib border crossing as part of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center’s land convoy. The trucks carried food, shelter materials, and medical supplies to assist Syrians grappling with dire circumstances.
To date, six Saudi planes carrying food, medical aid, and shelter supplies have also landed in Damascus.
On Sunday night, another 60 Saudi trucks entered Syria via Jordan’s Jaber border crossing, delivering food, shelter, and medical supplies.
Bashar al-Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending his family's decades-long rule.
The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters captured key cities in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.
A new administration led by Ahmed al-Sharaa has now taken charge.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio
