United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland rejected on Tuesday criticism that governments were too slow to respond in the early phase of last week's devastating Asian tsunami.

To critics who say that there was too little relief effort to respond to the crisis initially, "I respectfully disagree," Egeland told reporters in New York.

"I think they were first class," he said of the reaction from UN member states. "I've never ever had this kind of a response. From the United States to the European Union to the countries in the region we had an immediate promise and pledge of full support for all what we did and there is nothing which has held us back inthis in terms of ungenerosity by any donors."

But he maintained his assertion that the developed world was unable or unwilling to make the necessary investment to halt the preventable deaths of 30,000 children every day.

"My famous statement which I will not repeat but which has goneall over, was one referring to the situation where the community of 30, 40 very rich societies are not able or willing to foot the bill for feeding the children of the world or giving them minimal health care," he said.