US Congress on Thursday approved 51.8 billion US dollars in a new financial package to cover relief efforts in areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

US President George W. Bush will sign the bill into law very soon.

The bill, requested by the Bush administration, passed the Senate by a vote of 97-0, shortly after the House of Representatives gave the green light by a 410-11 vote.

It is the second time in a week that the Congress has rushed to grant emergency funding for tens of thousands of hurricane victims in the US Gulf Coast region.

On Sept. 2, the Congress approved a 10.5-billion-dollar package to support initial relief efforts.

Later in the day, Bush praised the Congress for "moving swiftly and in strong bipartisan fashion to approve these additional emergency funds."

But he cautioned that more resources will be needed "as we work to help people get back on their feet."

The White House said 50 billion dollars of the package will be distributed through the Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA), the country's front line disaster response organization, to support relief and recovery needs such as housing aid, grants to individuals and debit cards for victims.

US government officials said the money was needed without delay to prevent an interruption in the massive relief and recovery operation.

Hurricane Katrina, which struck the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, has caused unprecedented life and property losses and intrigued a massive humanitarian crisis.

Estimates of the costs of the disaster are approaching some 200 billion dollars.

Source: Xinhua