The humanitarian corridor is crucial for civilians caught in the crossfire during armed conflicts to allow them to access humanitarian services and safe passage to areas of relative safety. But humanitarian corridors are often difficult to establish and, many times, establishing humanitarian corridors is delayed, which prolongs the suffering of civilians and increases the risk of displacement, making it more challenging to address the humanitarian concerns. Also, it is often difficult to maintain humanitarian corridors in conflicting areas. According to multiple sources, the establishment of unsafe humanitarian corridors in several countries including Syria, Yemen and Rwanda led to the prolonged suffering and loss of life for civilians in besieged cities including Aleppo and Sarajevo during armed conflicts.
Steps are taken — often immediately — to establish a humanitarian corridor, a designated route or passage that allows the safe and unhindered movement of civilians as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid, during the conflict or crisis. Governments and organizations including the United Nations negotiate and obtain consent from all the parties involved in conflicts for humanitarian corridors. Effective negotiations have helped timely establish humanitarian corridors in many conflicting areas. The timely establishment of humanitarian corridors in several countries including Syria allowed for the safe passage of aid convoys to reach those in need and helped protect many civilians caught in the crossfire. Among others, governments and international bodies work together to secure safe passage for aid convoys and ensure the protection of civilians during the transportation process.
But there are political, military objectives based and other barriers to establishing and maintaining humanitarian corridors during armed conflicts. Political obstacles and a lack of cooperation from warring parties are crucial causes. Notably, political obstacles arise when governments or other relevant actors are unwilling to grant permission for a humanitarian corridor due to concerns about sovereignty or potential security risks and the lack of cooperation from warring parties is driven by their military objectives. In Yemen, the warring parties have been reluctant to grant access to humanitarian organizations, hindering the timely establishment of corridors for aid delivery. Among others, ineffective diplomatic steps, driven by the severity of hostilities and several other factors, put hindrances to the establishment of timely and effective humanitarian corridors.
But the safety and protection of both humanitarian personnel and vulnerable populations and coordinating aid distribution are often challenging — even if humanitarian corridors are timely established — driven by logistical and other factors. Logistical challenges stem from limited resources, inadequate infrastructure, or the sheer scale of the humanitarian operation required. Additionally, the volatility and unpredictability of armed conflicts and the lack of trust between warring parties often pose significant threats. Notably, humanitarian corridors are often deliberately targeted by the warring parties in different conflicting areas driven by perceived or real advantage in armed conflicts, the fear of losing control or exposing their vulnerabilities and other factors. Among others, the lack of effective coordination among relevant actors may disrupt the flow of aid.
It is definitely desired that humanitarian corridors be established and maintained during armed conflicts. But the timely establishment and effective maintenance of humanitarian corridors need to be given emphasis. It is notable that the timely establishment allows for timely access to the protection for vulnerable individuals during armed conflicts, helps reduce the loss of lives and alleviates the suffering of affected people. But it is definitely crucial to engage in effective diplomatic negotiations with all the parties involved in armed conflicts and gain their consent and support. Without the timely establishment of humanitarian corridors, the consequences can be dire, with many lives at risk of being lost due to the lack of access to humanitarian services.
But clear guidelines and protocols need to be developed to ensure the safe passage of humanitarian aid and personnel to affected areas, while also guaranteeing the protection of civilians during armed conflicts, both civil wars and inter-country wars. Additionally, the establishment of clear and effective communication channels between governments, the warring parties, relevant security forces and different humanitarian organizations is crucial to reduce the risk of armed attacks from any warring parties and maintain humanitarian corridors successfully in conflicting areas. Among others, it is crucial to engage with local communities and leaders to gain their support and cooperation in the implementation and maintenance of the corridors effectively.
