New York - Not a single country in Africa is on track to meet the United Nations' poverty goals by 2015, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Monday while issuing a plea for more foreign aid.

Ban, opening a one-day conference on African development at UN headquarters, said about 72 billion dollars per year was needed for Africa to reach the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), a series of poverty-reduction targets first set up eight years ago.

"This price tag may look daunting. But it is affordable and falls within existing aid commitments," Ban said.

The aid was crucial to tackle the food crisis - the result of surging prices over the last year - curb the effects of global warming and pull millions of Africans out of extreme poverty conditions.

"No one is more alarmed at the current trends," Ban said. "But I am convinced that through concerted action ... the MDGs remain achievable in Africa." (dpa)