New York - The United Nations was seeking 20.2 million dollars to help Syria combat the worst drought in four decades, which has affected more than 1 million people there, the UN said Wednesday.

The money will go to help those affected for six months - predominantly herders and subsistence farmers who are at risk of losing their livelihoods and threatened by malnutrition, the UN humanitarian office said.

"An assessment conducted by the UN country team in Syria confirmed that the situation is considerably worse then initially estimated," the UN said. (dpa)