UNITED NATIONS, Feb 3: The United Nations appealed on Tuesday for $604 million to help meet the needs of Afghans made vulnerable by natural disasters, lack of access to basic social services, increasing food insecurity and the worsening security situation.

About $354 million of the appeal will go towards food aid, while about $100 million will be used to rid the strife-torn nation of landmines,

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes told reporters in Geneva, as he launched the Humanitarian Action Plan for Afghanistan for 2009.

The Plan, with a set of 112 projects from 39 non-governmental organisations and eight UN agencies, also focuses on the delivery of education, water and sanitation, as well as on protection concerns amid growing insecurity in a country where 42 per cent of the population lives on less than $1 per day.

“Coming on top of chronic vulnerability and widespread poverty, insecurity has contributed to the increase in acute humanitarian needs. The lack of security in some areas also prevents humanitarian aid workers from carrying out their life-saving work,” said Mr Holmes, who is also United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator.