The European Commission (EC) willprovide an extra 30 million euros (39 million US dollars) in humanitarian aid for victims of the Asian tidal waves, an EC pressrelease said Monday.

The EC offered further substantial aid after an initial pledge of 3.0 million euros (3.9 million dollars) on Sunday, Louis Michel,European Commissioner responsible for Humanitarian and Developmentaid said.

"No one watching the events unfolding yesterday on our television screens can fail to be moved. The tragedies of so many stricken communities demand a speedy and massive international response to complement the assistance being mobilized at national level," said Michel, who plans to visit to the affected regions.

Michel has already ordered the EC humanitarian aid office (ECHO)to work immediately on a new and larger funding decision, the report said.

"The Commission is able to mobilize up to 30 million euros promptly through its emergency procedure," he said.

The exact amount of new funding to be allocated in follow-up humanitarian decisions will depend on needs assessments and on requests made to ECHO.

ECHO field experts in the region are already being deployed to carry out needs assessments and to contact local authorities and other international aid teams.