Former US Presidents Bill Clinton and and George Bush, father of incumbent President George W. Bush, will lead a nationwide effort to raise money for victims of the tsunami disaster in South Asian and Southeast Asian countries, the White House said Monday.

President Bush has tapped the two former presidents to lead thefund-raising effort and "to encourage the American people and American businesses to support, through private contributions, nongovernmental and international organizations, relief and reconstruction to areas devastated by the tsunamis," the White House said.

Bush has said that the United States will commit an aid of 350 million dollars to the tsunami-hit areas and has dispatched a US delegation led by US Secretary of State Colin Powell to the regionto assess what more the United States could do to help.

Bush has been under criticism for responding slowly to the Dec.26 disaster which has killed more than 140,000 people.