Syria received a planeload from the United Arab Emirates on Thursday with food items and medical aid to help the war-torn country in its fight against the spread of the coronavirus, Syria's state media reported.
The aid from the UAE comes as Syria is witnessing a sharp increase in coronavirus cases. Last week, Damascus ordered schools and universities closed for two weeks to try limit the spread. Syria's health system and infrastructure have been decimated by the country's 10-year conflict that killed about half a million people and displaced half of Syria's population.
Syria has registered nearly 20,000 cases of coronavirus, including more than 1,300 deaths. However, the real numbers are believed to be much higher as testing is limited, and most Syrians cannot afford tests due to the country's crushing economic crisis.