The first batch of the humanitarian aid of Cyprus to the people of war-torn Ukraine will be shipped on Tuesday, Citizen’s Commissioner Panagiotis Sentonas said on Saturday.
Sentonas visited the warehouse of the Cyprus Port Authority at Limassol Port where the humanitarian aid is gathered, with the Authority’s chairman Antonis Stylianou stating that this is largest humanitarian aid ever collected in Cyprus.
“On behalf of the government I would like to express a big thank you to the citizens, Municipalities, Communities, organisations and organised groups, who supported this grant effort,” Sentonas said.
The humanitarian drive began on 25 February with 40 collection points operating throughout Cyprus.
Sentonas said the aid mainly include dry food, pharmaceuticals, civil defence materials that have been collected under the coordination of the Cyprus Civil Defence, while the Cyprus Red Cross granted 1,500 personal hygiene kits for children and adults.
Furthermore, Cypriot Pharmaceutical company, Medochemie which has manufacturing plants in Ukraine granted pharmaceuticals worth of half a million euro to the Ukrainian people.
He also said that a bank account has been opened and will continue to operate in the Central Bank of Cyprus for donations.
The shipment of the humanitarian aid is coordinated with the European Civil Defence Mechanism which has set up special assistance centres in countries neighbouring Ukraine, Sentonas added.
On his part, Stylianou said the aid collected for Ukraine is the largest ever collected in the history of the Republic of Cyprus. It is a huge volume which is estimated to fill around 15 large containers.
So far, a total of 250 pallets in food aid and 32 pallets of pharmaceuticals, were gathered, he added. (CNA)
