Washington - The United States has released 250,000 dollars in emergency relief aid to Myanmar following the deadly cyclone that struck the South Asian country over the weekend.

A White House spokesman, Scott Stanzel, said Monday the United States was assessing what other assistance it could provide, and added First Lady Laura Bush would be announcing a US plan later Monday.

"We're in the process of assessing what more we could provide," Stanzel said. "So we're just in the initial stages, obviously, of this tragedy."

The US embassy in Yangon had authorized the release of the 250,000 dollars in food aid through the UN World Food programme. The money could also go toward water, sanitation and shelter, US State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said.

Cyclone Nargis began hammering Myanmar on Friday, and has so far claimed nearly 4,000 lives. The ruling military junta has suggested the death toll could reach 10,000.

The United States maintains sanctions on Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, because of the junta's crackdown on political dissidents and democratic activists. (dpa)