France has contributed €28m (US$30m, £23.8m) towards the protection of cultural heritage sites during conflicts, signifying the first step in creating an international wartime fund aimed at preventing destruction caused by the likes of ISIS.

Hoping to attract an initial €93m (US$100m, £79m) for the fund French President Francois Hollande announced the move during the Safeguarding Endangered Cultural Heritage conference, co-organised jointly by France and the UAE.

Created in coordination with Unesco, the fund will be used to prevent destruction of historical sites, fight increasing problems of illegal trafficking of stolen artefacts and pay for the restoration of heritage sites damaged during war or conflicts.

The fund would also be used to create a world network of sites where damaged or endangered artefacts could be stored temporarily for safekeeping.

Swathes of the Middle East’s heritage has been at the mercy of ISIS as the terrorist group wages war on the region. Unesco has previously suggested the formation of protected cultural zones – areas where there would be an enhanced focus on preventing attacks on cultural heritage and illicit trafficking in cultural properties.

ISIS has levelled entire ancient cities on its warpath, decimating historical collections. The group recently destroyed a selection of priceless artefacts in Mosul, and has bulldozed sites more than 2,000 years old. Syria’s heritage has also been badly impacted, with all six of its Unesco sites destroyed during the conflict.