The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Friday launched an appeal to raise $ 1.28 billion from governments to fund its humanitarian operations supporting children around the world in 2012.

UNICEF's 2012 Humanitarian Action for Children report highlights plans for the year, with $ 98 million allocated for the urgent needs of more than 7 million women and children in conflict affected areas in Sudan.

Those areas include Abyei, Blue Nile and South Kordofan states where an estimated 440,000 people are said to have fled fighting and aerial attacks.

UNICEF will also continue to work with the 1.9 million people displaced within Darfur.

The children's agency noted an acute decline in financing as a major challenge for 2012.

A household survey carried out in Sudan in 2010 revealed more than 300,000 children in Sudan live in life threatening environments.