The U.S. Treasury Department said Monday it is removing the limit on funds that U.S. individuals are allowed to send to family and friends in Myanmar.

Members of the US Air Force load supplies of water, mosquito nets and blankets into a military transport plane bound for Myanmar at U-Tapao Air Force base in Chanthaburi province, 210 km southeast of Bangkok, yesterday.

"This action will speed the flow of aid to the Burmese (Myanmar) people by allowing Americans to send an unlimited amount of funds to their relatives and friends who are in need," the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement.

Prior to the statement, noncommercial, personal remittances to Myanmar were only permitted if the total remittance did not exceed 300 U.S. dollars per Myanmar household in any consecutive three- month period.

Earlier on Monday, the White House said it would provide an extra aid of 13 million dollars for cyclone-hit Myanmar, bringing the total U.S. aid to Myanmar so far to 16.25 million dollars.

According to a news report of the Myanmar state radio Monday evening, the death toll of Myanmar's cyclone disaster kept rising with 3,480 more people killed, bringing the total to 31,938.

The United States delivered its first relief supplies to Myanmar on Monday.

(Xinhua News Agency May 13, 2008)