Under fire for delay in relief efforts, United States President George W Bush on Saturday ordered more than 7,000 troops to hurricane Katrina-hit New Orleans to tackle the spiralling violence there and pledged to rebuild the battered city.
"Hour by hour, the situation is improving. Yet the enormity of the task requires more resources and more troops," Bush said in his weekly radio address broadcast live for the first time in about one year.
Bush said 4,000 active duty troops are already deployed in the area and 7,000 more personnel will be moved there in
the next 24 to 72 hours.
"Many of our citizens simply are not getting the help they needed, especially in New Orleans, and that is unacceptable," he said and promised to restore order in the affected areas.
"We will comfort and care for the victims. We will restore the towns and neighbourhoods that have been lost in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama," he added.
One of America's great cities is submerged and the human costs are incalculable, he said.
"All of us agree more can be done to improve our ability to restore and deliver relief in a timely and effective manner," he said.
More than 21,000 National Guard troops were deployed in Louisiana and Mississippi and more are on the way. In addition to these national guard forces, the Department of Defence has deployed more than 4,000 men to assist in search and recovery and to provide logistical and medical support.