The United States on Thursday announced support to jumpstart a UN-led effort to share data during crises, hoping to improve responses by pooling international resources.

As data collection becomes increasingly sophisticated, The Complex Risk Analytics Fund, administered by the United Nations, seeks a more formal way to share information, for example by providing estimates on the numbers and locations of people hit by disasters.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) said it would provide $5 million, the most sizable contribution so far.

"No single actor is able to unlock the full multilateral data and analytics potential on their own," a USAID statement said.

"The ultimate impact of this work will be more lives saved, more resilient communities and better outcomes for people hit by disasters and wars across the world," it said.

The fund complements an effort launched last year by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that aims to ensure that everyone in the world has access to early warnings on extreme weather by 2027.