'Biggest releif efforts ever'

Jan Egeland, the UN undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs, told reporters that relief operations would be the biggest ever, as the destruction was not confined to one country or region.

"There are thousands of dead people, and there are tens of thousands of dead animals. It's a massive operation," he said.

Among individual countries, Japan said it would provide some 40 million dollars for emergency food, medicine and shelter.

In Washington, the US government pledged nearly 15 million dollars in immediate aid and promised more to come, including four million dollars to the the Intern-ational Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) mustered 21 members of its disaster assistance response team for the region and the US Navy dispatched three P3 reconnaisance aircraft from Japan to help in rescue operations in Thailand, officials said.

The Chinese government announced that it was providing 2.6 million dollars in aid, in the form of food, tents, blankets and cash.

The European Union has already pledged up to 30 million euros in emergency aid.

Germany pledged one million euros and was working with humanitarian groups, as well as sending three experts to Sri Lanka to help restore water supplies.

France sent a plane carrying 100 doctors and other aid experts, along with Foreign Minister Michel Barnier.

In Australia, the government pledged an initial 10 million Australian dollars with more to come.