Political reaction: The fallout from the Gulf coast disaster could take a heavy political toll on President George Bush, who has been accused by some of fiddling while New Orleans drowns.
His already plummeting popularity rating is likely to take another big hit, according to experts who say the public largely see his response to the tragedy as several days too late, inadequate and insincere.
Even as the rescue operation continues, anger is growing that the administration's focus on the war in Iraq diminished its ability to respond adequately to a growing crisis at home.
"There's no doubt it has already led people to further question the president's involvement in Iraq," said William Stewart, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Alabama. "If we didn't have so many resources there, we might have been able to respond to the tragedy here more quickly."
Public dissent over Mr Bush's reaction is reflected in newspaper editorials, radio talk shows and weblogs. The New York Times described the president's first public comments on the tragedy on Wednesday, two days after the storm hit, as "one of the worst speeches of his career".
Columnist Paul Klugman wrote: "America, once famous for its can-do attitude, now has a can't-do government that makes excuses instead of doing its job. And while it makes those excuses, Americans are dying."
Political enemies wasted little time in weighing in. President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, a long-time critic who refers to Mr Bush as Mr Danger, said: "That man, the king of vacations, said nothing but 'you have to flee', and did not say how. It's cowboy mentality."
With a war in the Middle East, economic difficulties at home and now the nation's largest natural disaster to deal with, Mr Bush is facing his biggest challenge since the 2001 terrorist attacks. David Frum, former adviser to Mr Bush, said people "should not be playing politics at a time when the dead are not counted and not buried".
Meanwhile, UN secretary general Kofi Annan urged the world to show the same generosity to the US as it demonstrated in crises such as the Asian tsunami.
"The Americans are usually very generous in assisting in other crises," Mr Annan told reporters in Sweden.
The state department said that by early yesterday 44 nations - including Ireland - and international organisations had offered help.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern raised the issue yesterday at an informal EU ministerial meeting in Wales.
A department spokesman said last night that its primary input was to ensure the safety of Irish citizens in the region. "The Minister did raise the issue of assistance with his EU partners," the spokesman added.