US Secretary of State Colin Powell will visit the countries devastated by the tsunami disaster on Sunday, a White House spokesman said Thursday.

US President George W. Bush's brother, Florida Governor Jeb Bush is to join the visit to assess the need for assistance, the spokesman said.

The announcement was made following critics have faulted Washington for inadequate relief aid to the disaster-affected countries. Bush, who has been on vacation at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, has also been criticized for not making a public statement sooner on the disaster that killed at least 125,000.

However, Bush rejected the criticism. He said on Wednesday that a 35-million-dollar US pledge for victims of the tsunami was only the beginning, noting any suggestions America was stingy were "misguided and ill-informed."

(Xinhua News Agency December 31, 2004)