UNITED NATIONS, March 27: The United Nations is expected to seek $2 billion for Iraq in the largest humanitarian aid ever from governments the world over, UN officials told reporters here on Thursday.

But the appeal, which is expected to be issued on Friday, is likely to have little enthusiasm among the member-states most of whom believe that the United States and Britain bear primary responsibility for humanitarian aid after launching their invasion without Security Council approval.

UN officials said they expected the aid appeal to total at least $2.1 billion, including a record $1.2 billion to be designated for emergency food purchases by the Rome-based World Food Programme. The officials last week estimated the appeal would total some $1.7 billion but later decided more would be needed.

On Wednesday UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the Security Council: “I fear that the humanitarian effort required in the coming weeks and months is going to be very costly.” He announced that the appeal for the aid would be unveiled soon.