The World Monument Fund (WMF) announced that it was adding New Orleans and the rest of the hurricane-devastated US Gulf Coast to its list of the world's 100 most endangered sites. "We recognize that heritage preservation is a secondary concern as extraordinary humanitarian relief efforts continue throughout the Gulf Coast region," said WMF president Bonnie Burnham.

"But we also know from experience that there are things we can do now to prevent further loss later on," Burnham said.

Founded in 1965, the New York-based WMF uses an international panel of experts to draw up its biennial list, which aims to raise funds for preserving some of the world's most imperiled architectural and cultural sites.

The Gulf Coast and New Orleans will be the 101st site named in the latest list which was published in June.

The only other time the WMF has added to its list was following the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center when an historic section of Lower Manhattan was appended.

The WMF also announced it was teaming with the US National Trust for Historic Preservation to advocate for restoration and sensitive reconstruction measures that respect the rich historic and cultural assets of the region hit by Hurricane Katrina at the end of August.