Ammon News - Jordan has welcomed a U.S. administration's decision to resume financial aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) which has been grappling with major financial deficits over the past few years.

"The financial support announced by the U.S. will assist the Agency in overcoming its financial crisis and will help it provide its vital services that include education, health services and relief aid to more than five million Palestinian refugees in its five areas of operation," Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi said in a statement Thursday.

Jordan highly appreciates the U.S. decision, Safadi added, stressing that the move is an important positive step that will have a significant impact on the UNRWA's ability to meet refugees' humanitarian, education and health needs, especially in light of the financial burdens imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Wednesday that his country decided to restart financial support for the UNRWA, which was suspended in September 2018, and to allocate $150 million to the agency.