It says the record US$22 billion plea will help an estimated 93 million of the most vulnerable of more than 128 million people affected by conflicts and natural disasters around the world.
The world body says the funds will help address the needs of people caught up in crises from Yemen to Syria, and from South Sudan to the Lake Chad region.
UN humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien launched the plea.
'This appeal, Appeal 2017, comprising strategic and coordinated response-plans covering 33 countries, is calling for US$22.2 billion -- the highest amount we have ever requested. This is a reflection of a state of humanitarian need in the world not witnessed since the Second World War. More than 128 million people urgently need our support and solidarity, to survive and live in safety and dignity."
The UN says humanitarian needs will continue to increase if political solutions aren't reached, especially for countries like Syria.
It says the nearly six year-old conflict there has left about 13.5 million people requiring aid.
In Afghanistan 1.8 million people, mostly children, will require treatment for acute malnutrition next year.
The UN says the political crisis in Burundi will cause the number of people in need of urgent support there to triple to about three million.
Last week the world body doubled its appeal for northeast Nigeria to US$1 billion.
The UN says it hopes to reach nearly 7 million people affected by attacks by the militant group Boko Haram, including 75,000 children at risk of starving to death.
Stephen O'Brien says the appeal follows a trend of steady increases that have seen requests for funds grow almost threefold from about US$8 billion in 2011.
"More than 80% of the needs stem from man-made conflicts, many of which are now protracted, and push up demand for relief year after year. These crises affect entire regions."
Kate Halff is the head of the UN Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response.
She says humanitarian action has started to replace to political processes of dealing with crises.
"Part of the reason we have such a gap, such a high level of need, is another extremely worrying trend: the fact that in a way humanitarian action has de facto become a substitute for any meaningful political action to prevent or end crisis. The majority of the situation in this appeal are protracted conflict situations and we should never never forget that humanitarian action cannot be a substitute for political action. We are not going to resolve this crisis through humanitarian action."
Although the UN hopes donor countries to fully fund the appeal, last year's US$20 billion plea had only achieved 52% of its target, as of Dec 5.
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