Egeland, who has described Israel's offensive as "a violation of humanitarian law", appealed for "a total of 150 million dollars to meet the needs of some 800,000 people over the next three months".

"The longer the hostilities last, the more dramatic the humanitarian situation will become," he told a news conference.

On Sunday he made no attempt to hide his feelings as he toured bombed-out areas of south Beirut.

"This is destruction of block after block of mainly residential areas. I would say it seems to be an excessive use of force in an area with so many citizens," Egeland told reporters.

Asked if the raid that destroyed the buildings constituted a war crime, he replied: "It makes it a violation of humanitarian law."

The Beirut representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Roberto Laurenti, told AFP Monday that 150 million dollars was a "drop in the ocean".

"It is meant to cover immediate needs and to heighten public awareness about the magnitude of the disaster in Lebanon. It is a tsunami provoked by men, not nature," he said.

"The Lebanese government has estimated damage at over two billion dollars, but it will not surprise me if it is more than that. So we hope donors will be generous," he said.

Laurenti said donations will help "channel humanitarian aid, mainly food and medicine, to Lebanon by land from Syria and by sea through Lebanese ports".

He said 45 percent of the civilians affected -- including displaced people and those stranded in towns by the bombardments -- were under 18.

The civilian toll from the Israeli attacks has risen to more than 350 dead, and the UN, European countries and aid agencies all speak of a humanitarian catastrophe in the making.

On a surprise visit to Beirut Monday, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she was "deeply concerned about the Lebanese people and what they are enduring".

A US official travelling with her said the eventual US aid contribution would amount to between 10 and 20 percent of the global total, without elaborating.

The UN has been particularly worried about dwindling food and medical supplies in Lebanon, which has been virtually cut off from the outside world since Israel imposed a sea and air blockade and attacked roads leading to the borders.

"Lebanon is yet again experiencing a devastating cycle of violence, with the civilian population caught in the middle," Egeland said. "With the conflict now in its second week, the humanitarian situation continues to worsen."

"Funding for the appeal will enable aid groups to carry out programs to feed, shelter, and protect civilians caught in a cruel conflict," he added.

He said the total number of civilians affected includes some 150,000 Lebanese, 1,000 Palestinian refugees and 20,000 foreigners who had been in Lebanon and had fled to neighboring Syria.

"The appeal is intended to help meet humanitarian needs in Lebanon and Syria," he said.

Egeland said the ongoing Israeli military offensive "has caused enormous damage to residential areas and key civilian infrastructure such as power plants, seaports and fuel depots".

"Hundreds of bridges and virtually all road networks have been systematically destroyed, leaving entire communities in the south inaccessible," he said.

Included in the appeal amount was a UNICEF request for 23.8 million dollars to help Lebanese children who have borne the brunt of Israel's military onslaught, UNICEF executive director Ann Veneman said in a statement.

Veneman said the UNICEF appeal was made to help Lebanese children inside the country and those who have sought shelter with their families in Syria.

"Many of those who have been uprooted in the violence are children," she said. "They may have witnessed the death or injury of loved ones, and many are suffering acute distress."

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