As the world grapples with fears of a major food crisis, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator has decided to reserve $100 million from the world body's emergency fund to address immediate issues arising from it. John Holmes, who also serves as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said that these funds will be used for life-saving activities in the hardest-hit sectors, including food, agriculture, health, nutrition and logistics. "Since its inception in 2006, Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has shown that it is a successful humanitarian funding mechanism that ensures that aid is delivered in an effective, fast and predictable way,' UN spokesperson Michele Montas said here on Tuesday. It is evident that CERF will need to be replenished, Montas said, given the demands posed by food-related emergencies as well as multiple crises and disasters around the world. Since the start of the year, the Fund which is managed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has already earmarked nearly $66 million for food interventions by UN agencies, compared to $37 million during the same period last year. Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon and Holmes are appealing to donors to make additional contributions to the Fund, beyond the $425 million already pledged for this year. The CERF was approved by the General Assembly in December 2005, and was created to speed up relief operations for emergencies, make funds available quickly after a disaster and finance under-funded emergencies. Its funds are also made available to address the existing imbalance in global aid distribution which results in millions of people in so-called neglected or forgotten crises remaining in need. Since its inception, it has disbursed nearly $800 million.