The CERF was founded in 2006 and fulfills an important function in the humanitarian aid of the United Nations, as it allows a very rapid and uncomplicated response to emergency situations. In 2023, 73 countries and other actors paid around 559 million US dollars into the fund. For example, following the outbreak of conflict in Sudan in April 2023, the fund was able to provide aid very quickly by making USD 40 million available. The fund also provides support in emergency situations that receive little attention from the global public and are underfunded. In 2023, the CERF supported severely underfunded emergency aid programs in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Syria and Yemen, among others.

Liechtenstein is one of the UN member states that has continuously supported the Central Emergency Relief Fund since its foundation.