The World Bank said Wednesday it expected to provide 660 million dollars to Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives under the first phase of its support for the reconstruction of tsunami-hit areas. Financial and technical support to the three economies, which had sought help from the Washington-based institution, is expected to rise over time, the bank said.

"The bank is working with the governments of each country and our partners from the development community to quickly begin the process of reconstruction," World Bank President James Wolfensohn said in a statement. "There are many challenges we must face together, including critical issues such as the involvement of people at the community level, resettlement and financial accountability for the enormous outpouring of aid," he said.

The December 26 tsunami killed more than 290,000 people and left 1.5 million people homeless across a dozen countries along the Indian Ocean coast.

Wolfensohn had said previously the bank's commitment could spiral up to one billion dollars to 1.5 billion dollars.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2005