Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the Secretary-General said the Arab Group - which is not one of the five regional groups - were concerned about the situation on the ground, as well as the Iraqi population and the civilian casualties. "They are also anxious that assistance should get to the cities and to the people as soon as possible," he added. "But of course they are worried as to how all this is going to turn out, which nobody really knows."

As for the UN's Oil-for-Food programme, which the Security Council voted last Friday to restart, giving the Secretary-General more authority to administer the operation, Mr. Annan said he thought the UN was taking steps to be able to get food to those in need. Some 60 per cent of the Iraqi population depends solely on the programme for their daily rations.

"We would expect the belligerents, we would expect the Government of Iraq and the coalition forces to give us humanitarian access and help us create humanitarian space for us to do our work and get assistance to the needy," he said.

Mr. Annan is expected to begin his broad consultations with the five regional groups tomorrow.