The United States will offer another US$20 million in aid for victims of a massive earthquake and tsunami in Asia, the State Department announced Tuesday.

The latest pledge of financial aid has been identified after Secretary of State Colin Powell and his deputy Richard Armitage met Andrew Natsios, administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) earlier in the day, deputy spokesman of the State Department Adam Ereli told reporters.

The money would be disbursed to US missions in the region, local non-governmental organizations and other groups dealing withthe massive tidal waves Sunday that killed some 55,000 people across the Indian Ocean.

At least 12 Americans died in the tidal waves, and hundreds of others are still missing, US officials said.

Washington on Monday pledged an initial US$15 million in cash, credits and relief supplies, including four million dollars earmarked for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Ereli described the US$35 million in assistance as preliminary. "We know the needs will be greater. This was a disaster of almost unimaginable dimension, and it's going to require massive support for some time," he said.

Powell said earlier that the US "will do more" to help the victims of the gigantic earthquake and tsunamis in Asia. He denieda statement by Jan Egeland, the UN humanitarian aid chief, that America was being "stingy" in helping the disaster affected countries.

(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2004)