Russia sends 30-tonne humanitarian aid to Syria

Beirut: A Syrian Airlines plane carrying more than 30 tonnes of humanitarian aid for the victims of the ongoing conflict in Syria has landed in Damascus, the Russian embassy in Damascus said on Sunday.

The aid was collected in Russia by the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society, based in St. Petersburg, March 22-April 10. According to the organisers, Russians have also raised over 2 million rubles ($64,200) for Syrians in need. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, had made an appeal for humanitarian aid to Syrian Christians in November. In late March, he met with Metropolitan George of Homs, Syria, and after this meeting the collection for aid started. Last week, a Russian emergencies ministry plane delivered 26.7 tonnes of humanitarian aid for Syrian refugees in Lebanon. IANS