Officially launching the appeal at the UN headquarters in New York, Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette noted that the war had been raging for more than a week, and that much of the Iraqi population was already in urgent need, and more undoubtedly would be in the days and weeks ahead.

"The war is now creating acute new needs, and that is why we are appealing for new money today," Frechette said.

She said that while international UN staff have been temporarily withdrawn from Iraq, more than 3,000 national staff continue to provide assistance and support to the Iraqi people.

Meanwhile, the World Food Program (WFP) said the 1.3 billion dollar food sector of the appeal, for which it will be responsible, could evolve into the largest humanitarian operation in history, assuring the needs of some 27.1 million people.

The world body warned that the emergency needs of the Iraqi people also went beyond food, and said the appeal includes provisions for refugees both inside Iraq and in neighboring countries and other especially vulnerable groups.

"It is painfully evident that the international community must act immediately to prepare for all eventualities and in order to avert disaster," a UN statement said. "The most vulnerable members of the population, women and children, are at greatest risk."

It said household food stocks were already in short supply in some areas of Iraq and were likely to become further strained.

"Prolonged hostilities may therefore result in a serious humanitarian crisis among a population already rendered vulnerable by poverty and seriously degraded services," the statement said.

Aside from food supplies, the appeal also covers such assistance as the provision of potable water to the general population; health and nutrition help to children, lactating mothers, the elderly and infirm; and shelter, de-mining operations and emergency infrastructure repairs.

(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2003)