Leaders from the world's poorest nations poured out their disappointment and bitterness at a UN summit on Sunday over the treatment of their countries by richer counterparts.

Many made pointed calls for the developed powers to come good with billions of dollars of promised aid to help them escape poverty and battle climate change.

Central African Republic's president told the UN Least Developed Countries meeting in Doha that his resource-rich but impoverished nation was being "looted" by "Western powers".

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres followed up an attack he made a day earlier on the "predatory" interest rates imposed by international banks on poor states.

He said there could be "no more excuses" for not providing aid.

But the opening day of general debate at the once-in-a-decade summit saw no major announcement of desperately needed cash -- apart from $60 million that host Qatar said it would give to United Nations programmes.

Leaders of the world's major economies have been markedly absent from debate, which will last five days, on the turmoil in poor nations.

At a meeting with LDC leaders on Saturday Guterres called for $500 billion to be mobilised for social and economic transformation.

Presidents and prime ministers from Africa and the Asia-Pacific region made calls for financial action.

(AFP)

Read more on FRANCE 24 English

Read also:
UN warns key climate change indicators hit record highs in 2021
In DR Congo, Macron pledges aid, warns of sanctions if peace efforts are derailed
Sub-Saharan migrants in Tunisia living in 'climate of fear' after surge in racist attacks