The United Nations is gearing up to bring emergency relief to north-east Syria, where a severe and persistent drought has forced more than 300,000 people to leave their homes, but the international community has not yet come up with the necessary funds because of Syria’s tense diplomatic relations with other countries.

“Drought is a slowly ongoing disaster and because of the political situation donors do not give money easily for humanitarian action in Syria,” said Mostafa Shbib, of the UN’s Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Damascus.