MOSCOW, December 19 (Sputnik) — Russia will continue to send humanitarian aid to Syria through both bilateral and relevant international channels, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
The ministry's statement was released following a Friday meeting between the Russian President's Special Representative for Africa and the Middle East Mikhail Bogdanov and the mother superior of St.James Melkite Greek Catholic monastery of the city of Qara, Syria, Mother Agnes Mariam el Salib. During the meeting, Bogdanov and Mother Agnes Mariam el Salib discussed the current situation in Syria focusing on the humanitarian aspect and the condition of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.
18 December 2014, 16:55 GMT
"Bogdanov stressed that the Russian Federation will continue to provide needed aid and assistance to the people of Syria, who had suffered due to the prolonged conflict, [sending the aid] both via the bilateral humanitarian aid channels and via the relevant international humanitarian agencies: the International Committee of the Red Cross, the World Food Programme and other organizations," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement published on its official website.
Syria has been engulfed in a bloody civil war since March 2011. According to UN data, over 12 million people in the country and "millions of Syrian refugees scattered" throughout the Middle East are currently in urgent need of aid.
