The gathering is not considered an official meeting of the security council has been set for 11:00 a.m. (1500 GMT) Monday, UN officials said.

World leaders have been wrangling over should lead rebuilding efforts in Iraq while international aid groups have expressed alarm about the number of civilian casualties in the war.

A UN Security Council resolution adopted last week gave Annan control for 45 days over the humanitarian side of the UN programme that uses Iraq's oil revenues for food and medical supplies.

Officials have said however, that funds from the newly-reconstituted UN oil-for-food programme would be insufficient to cover the bulk of Iraq's immediate humanitarian needs and warned that poor Iraqis could run out of food this month.

SPACE.WIRE