Qatar has announced sending the first batch of urgent medical aid to Iran to help it contain the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

A statement issued by the Qatar Fund for Development on Twitter said: “The first package of aid included about six tons of medical equipment and supplies, including surgical masks, sterilisers, and medical disinfectants.”

The statement stressed that, “Doha will continue to support all international efforts to combat this pandemic, which threatens the entire world.”

On 9 March, Qatar provided urgent medical assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA) to confront the coronavirus, worth $10 million, in the form of medical equipment and devices.

Iran ranked third in the list of countries most affected by the virus after China and Italy, recording 611 deaths and more than 12,700 confirmed cases of the pandemic.

On 11 March, the World Health Organisation (WHO) classified the coronavirus as a pandemic.

As of Sunday, 162,000 people in 156 countries and territories had contracted the coronavirus, more than 6,000 had died as a result, most of them in China, Italy, Iran and Spain.

The spread of the virus on a global scale has forced many countries to close their borders, stop flights, cancel events and public gatherings, including congregational prayers.