UNICEF says it urgently needs $US45 million to help children in Mali.
The agency said the money was needed to meet basic needs such as health care, nutrition, education and protection over the next three months.
French troops are leading a campaign against insurgents from the north. AAP reports the conflict follows years of drought in Mali.
An estimated 660,000 children under the age of five are expected to face malnutrition this year, according to UNICEF.
The crisis has disrupted schooling for some 700,000 children.
