Saudi Arabia sends new aid plane for post-Assad Syria

ISTANBUL

Another Saudi plane loaded with humanitarian aid landed in Damascus on Wednesday as part of a relief bridge launched by Saudi Arabia for Syria following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

The Saudi state news agency SPA said the plane carried critical humanitarian assistance, including food, shelter, and medical supplies, for the Syrian people.

It is the 15th plane shipment dispatched by the oil-rich kingdom to Syria since Assad’s fall last month.

The aid plane, operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, underscores Saudi Arabia's "longstanding commitment to supporting countries during times of need," SPA said.

Since 2011, Saudi Arabia has provided over $856.89 million in humanitarian aid to the Syrian people, according to the Saudi news agency.

The World Bank reported in May 2024 that 27% of Syrians -- around 5.7 million people -- live in extreme poverty due to successive economic crises, leaving many unable to meet their basic needs.

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.

Since then, many countries worldwide, including Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, launched relief and aid campaigns for the Syrian people.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar.