KABUL, Afghanistan » The United Nations is appealing for $678 million for humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in 2011.

Catherine Bragg, the U.N.’s Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, said Sunday the toll of conflict and natural disasters requires continued aid to Afghanistan in 2011.

Also Sunday, NATO said a Taliban leader in Wardak province was killed in a Dec. 3 airstrike. NATO said the leader had been conducting surveillance on coalition forces operating in the area, possibly in preparation for an attack.