Record-breaking UN appeal to help the world’s most vulnerable

The United Nations launches a record appeal to meet a growing need for global humanitarian aid.

The UN has launched a record-breaking appeal for funds to help refugees.

The United Nations has appealed for a record $16.4 billion US dollars to help deal with humanitarian crises around the world next year.

Around half of the funds will aid those affected by the conflict in Syria, where more than 3 million people have fled their homes.

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos said UN agencies were facing an unprecedented level of suffering globally, including a high number of people forced to flee within their own countries.

“Each year we ask our donors for more and more funding for our appeals, but as needs rise the resource gap is widening,” she said.

“Responding to people's suffering must be a shared responsibility and there must be a determined collective effort through 2015 to close the growing gap between needs and resources."

The funds will be directed to 52 million people across 22 countries.

Almost three quarters of the funds would be allocated to the ongoing crises in Iraq, Syria, South Sudan and the Central African Republic.

Ms Amos said the appeal did not include the needs in Djibouti or the nine countries in Africa’s Sahel region, which will be addressed in a separate appeal in February.

Last year, the UN appealed for just under $13 billion dollars - later updated to almost $18 billion.

It received just over half the requested amount.