The contributions have come as a result of a swell in humanitarian need, from conflict to natural disasters, and increased United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) pledges from $5.2bn in 2005 to over $24bn as of 8 December. 

UN secretary general António Guterres said there “is no sign of a let-up in humanitarian [needs]” and that was the reason the General Assembly adopted a resolution last year that calls for an expansion of CERF's annual funding target from $450 million to $1 billion.

He said: “$1bn is an ambitious but achievable goal. A strong United Nations needs a strong CERF.”

The global humanitarian funding gap stood at $11bn in November while humanitarian response plans were funded at an average of 60% - the $1bn would help bolster “contingency financing”, the UN secretary general said.

This year, the fund allocated nearly £130m to help prevent famine in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.

At the UN meeting last week, Guterres announced $100m to CERF to meet the needs of underfunded emergencies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, Cameroon, Mali, Philippines, Eritrea, Haiti and Pakistan.