JERUSALEM

The U.S. announced Thursday that it will provide $5 million to the Palestinian Authority to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.  

“I’m very pleased the USA is providing $5M for Palestinian hospitals and households to meet immediate, life-saving needs in combating COVID-19,” U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said on Twitter. 

The U.S. had cut more than $200 million in aid to Palestine following a review initiated by President Donald Trump in August 2018. 

The Trump administration also cut financial aid for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) the same year. 

The U.S. had been UNRWA's largest contributor by far, providing it $350 million annually -- roughly a quarter of its overall budget. 

Established in 1949, UNRWA provides critical aid to Palestinian refugees in the blockaded Gaza Strip, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. 

*Writing by Burak Dag