Humanitarian Corridors

In Context

• The United Nations considers humanitarian corridors to be one of several possible forms of a temporary pause of armed conflict.

Why are they needed ?

• Humanitarian corridors arise when a population is caught in a war zone, particularly when a city or town is under siege. 
• In cases where a humanitarian catastrophe unfolds because the international law of war is being violated, humanitarian corridors can provide crucial relief.
• The idea is that hostilities are halted for a certain time to allow civilians who need to flee to do so along designated routes or to allow urgent humanitarian aid to enter for civilians who remain.
  • The corridors are necessary when cities are under siege and the population is cut off from basic food supplies, electricity and water.

What are Humanitarian Corridors 

• About:
  • They are demilitarised zones, in a specific area and for a specific time — and both sides of an armed conflict agree to them.
  • They are effectively a temporary pause of hostilities in a defined area, designed to reduce civilian casualties by allowing them to evacuate safely if they want to and for humanitarian aid like food and medical supplies to be delivered to areas of conflict.
• Governance:
  • There are no clear rules governing the corridors and all parties involved in the conflict must agree to them before putting one in place.
  • Most agreements to set up a corridor will typically limit access to neutral parties like the United Nations or aid organisations, outline any restrictions on modes of transport permitted and clearly delineate the area and time of the safezone.
  • The United Nations considers humanitarian corridors to be one of several possible forms of a temporary pause of armed conflict
• Who sets them up?
  • In most cases, humanitarian corridors are negotiated by the United Nations. Sometimes they’re also set up by local groups. 
  • Since all sides need to agree to set up the corridors, there is a risk of military or political abuse. 
    • For example, the corridors can be used to smuggle weapons and fuel into besieged cities.
  • On the other hand, they can also be used by UN observers, NGOs and journalists to gain access to contested areas where war crimes are being committed.
• Instances of usage:

• Humanitarian corridors have been put in place since the mid-20th century.
  •  For example, during the so-called Kindertransport from 1938 to 1939, Jewish children were evacuated to the United Kingdom from areas under Nazi control.
• They were also created during the 1992-1995 siege of Sarajevo, Bosnia and the 2018 evacuation of Ghouta, Syria.
• However, there are many wars and conflicts where calls for civilian corridors or a pause in fighting have been made in vain.
  •  In the ongoing war in Yemen, for instance, the UN has so far failed in its negotiations.

Source:IE