美国国务院星期三说，美国向朝鲜提供了一百万美元的人道援助。
尽管朝鲜和美国间关系日渐紧张，但是美国上星期还是在川普宣誓就职前一天向朝鲜提供了这笔援助。
这是美国自2011年以来首次向朝鲜提供援助。2011年美国向朝鲜水灾灾民提供了价值90万美元的医药设备等救援物资。
即将卸任的美国国务卿克里上星期在川普就职前一天批准把这笔给朝鲜的人道救援资金拨给联合国儿童基金会。
国务院通过电邮向美国之音证实了这个消息，并且说，这笔资金只能用于人道救援。不过国务院一位发言人说，政府官员“正在审核前任政府在卸任前的最后一些花费”。
美国向朝鲜提供援助的消息令华盛顿和首尔的一些政府官员感到意外，因为自朝鲜去年多次进行核试验以来，两国最近一直在向朝鲜施加压力。
The United States has provided $1 million in humanitarian aid to North Korea, the U.S. State Department said Wednesday.
Despite growing tensions between North Korea and Washington, the U.S. sent the assistance last week on the day before President Donald Trump was sworn in and took over the U.S. government.
It marks the first time that the U.S. provided humanitarian assistance to the North since 2011, when it provided relief items worth $900,000 including medical supplies to North Korean flood victims.
Outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry awarded $1 million for North Korea to UNICEF, a U.N. agency, the day before President Donald Trump took office last week.
The State Department confirmed the assistance in an email to VOA and said the funding was destined only for humanitarian assistance. However, a spokesman added that U.S. officials are “currently reviewing last-minute spending approved by the previous administration.”
News of U.S. assistance to North Korea came as a surprise to some officials in Washington and Seoul, since both countries have been increasing pressure on Pyongyang since the communist country conducted multiple nuclear tests last year.
