Cyprus on Tuesday shipped 14 containers of food and medical aid to Ukraine in what is described as the largest humanitarian aid drive to a third country organised on the island.
Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos and Commissioner for the Citizen, Panayiotis Sentonas oversaw the final arrangements of the shipment loaded onto the Panama-flagged Lider Trabzon container vessel at Limassol port.
The shipment is going to Thessaloniki, Greece, from where it will travel to Ukraine by road.
The entire effort, initiated by the government and coordinated by the office of the Commissioner for the Citizen, saw humanitarian aid received from 40 collection points over the past ten days.
The transportation of the aid collected was assisted by the National Guard to Limassol port and received by the Cyprus Port Authority.
In comments to the Cyprus News Agency, Karousos and Sentonas thanked the people of Cyprus for their effort and generosity.
Karousos said the 14, 40-foot containers to be shipped later on Tuesday held medical equipment, food, basic necessities and civil protection material.
He said the humanitarian aid would be delivered “as soon as the containers arrive in Thessaloniki, they will be immediately forwarded to centres set up by the EU Civil Protection Mechanism”.
Sentonas stated that the Cypriot people have actively shown their solidarity with the Ukrainian people through this humanitarian aid.
He noted that the collection of dry food would be continuing while the special account, which was created with the instructions of President Nicos Anastasiades, would remain active.
The Cyprus Red Cross sent personal hygiene kits for children and adults, and the pharmaceutical company Medochemie has handed over medical equipment worth over €500,000 to the Ukrainian authorities.
Spokeswoman for Civil Defence, Olivia Michaelidou, said Cyprus authorities were liaising with the European Directorate responsible for providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
“This is the least we can do in the face of the magnitude of the disaster but also in the context of showing solidarity and support to the Ukrainian people.
“We are ready to contribute in any way necessary”.
