hankyoreh

The United States has pledged US$4 million to help provide electricity for North Korean hospitals, a U.S. government broadcaster said Tuesday.

Citing an unidentified North Korea source in Washington, the Voice of America said the U.S. State Department will provide the aid through four global aid agencies -- EugeneBell Foundation, Mercy Corps, Samaritan's Purse and Global Resource Action Center for Environment.

The state fund will keep the project alive for up to one year and a half, the report said. The four agencies were also now in talks with North Korean officials concerning their three-year plan to support North Korean medical facilities, said.

The State Department officials visited North Korea earlier this month to review the feasibility of the electricity project along with officials of the governmental United States Agency for International Development, while Stephen Linton, president of Eugene Bell, was still staying in North Korea for further consultations, the report said.

In late October, U.S. State Department officials, along with officials of the USAID and National Security Council, also visited North Korea to discuss food aid, the report said.

The U.S. provided US$100,000 to the U.N.-led efforts to help North Korea deal with floods in August.


SEOUL, Nov. 20 (Yonhap)