UN secretary-general Kofi Annan is pressing governments for more aid for the troubled Darfur region, as the Security Council considers threatening the Sudanese Government with sanctions over its role in the humanitarian crisis in the region.
Mr Annan has written to the leaders of 11 key European, Asian and Gulf nations.
He says nations have so far been too tight-fisted in addressing the situation in Darfur, where Arab militias have killed tens of thousands of African villagers and driven more than 1 million more from their homes.
A UN emergency appeal in March requested $US349 million in aid for the western Sudanese region.
UN officials say so far, less than half of that has been donated, with 70 per cent of that coming from just four donors - the United States, the Netherlands, Britain and the European Commission.
On Tuesday, the United States toughened its draft resolution to threaten unspecified sanctions against the Sudanese Government in 30 days if it failed to fulfil its commitments to disarm the Arab militias and give relief workers full access to the region.
UN, US and European Union officials blame the armed groups, known as Janjaweed militias, for murder, rape and pillaging in Darfur.
The Sudanese Government is accused of backing the Janjaweed.
Sudan denies this and protests outsiders meddling in its affairs.
US envoy Stuart Holliday told Security Council members on Tuesday to expect a vote either Thursday or Friday on the draft after a final round of talks on Wednesday afternoon.
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