Nayrouz News Agency : The UK is working with countries across the Middle East to deal with COVID-19 and protect people at risk of contracting the virus, according to an announcement by British Minister of State for Middle East and North Africa Affairs James Cleverly on Tuesday.

The British embassy in Amman said in a statement that Cleverly stressed the importance of concerted efforts to face the unprecedented challenge of combatting the coronavirus, noting that the UK has so far allocated 764 million pounds for the international campaign to address the coronavirus, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The UK is also leading international efforts to develop a safe anti-coronavirus vaccine that can be made available around the world, and it is the largest donor to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to find a suitable vaccine, according to the statement.

"No country alone can respond to the devastating impact of this hidden killer virus, which means that the UK's long-term partnership with the Middle East is now more important than ever," he said.

He added that there are communities across the Middle East in need of humanitarian assistance, especially those affected by the on-going conflicts in Syria, Yemen and in the occupied Palestinian lands.

Cleverly said that many people are forced to celebrate Eid Al Fitr away from their homes after they have taken refuge in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and other countries.

The British government has allocated more than 30 million pounds in aid during the past months in support of life-saving programmes across the region, he noted.