In over a week since Russia invaded Ukraine, over one million people have fled the country as Russian forces continue assaulting Ukrainian cities
A local resident looks on the remains of a Russian military vehicle in Bucha, close to the capital Kyiv, Ukraine. AP
During the second round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, the delegations from the two countries reached an understanding to create humanitarian corridors.
In over a week since Russia invaded Ukraine, over one million people have fled the country as Russian forces continued assaulting Ukrainian cities.
Kherson became the first city to fall into Russian hands while heavy shelling continues in Mariupol, Chernihiv and Kharkiv.
In the two two rounds of negotiations, held in Belarus, the two countries have not been able to agree on a general cease-fire and armistice, which are Ukraine’s first two points on the agenda.
Even though there has been no breakthrough on cease-fire, the agreement to secure humanitarian corridors is being seen as a step forward.
Also read: Endless saga of displacement for refugees in Ukraine who fled other wars
Let’s take a look at what are humanitarian corridors and how they may help the current situation in Ukraine:
What are humanitarian corridors
Humanitarian corridors are created to provide safe passage to people and humanitarian services in a conflict zone.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said that the two sides will cease hostility in certain places to create a temporary safe zone through which civilians can be evacuated.
“That is, not everywhere, but only in those places where the humanitarian corridors themselves will be located, it will be possible to cease fire for the duration of the evacuation,” he said.
Russia’s main negotiator, and former culture minister, Vladimir Medinsky confirmed that both sides had agreed to create a way out for civilians.
Humanitarian corridors were defined in resolution 45/100 of the United Nations’ general assembly in 1990.
It said that “relief corridors” are seen by the international community as an important instrument to back up the right of civilians to receive assistance during armed conflicts, which is recognized in the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977.
In 1992, the International Institute of Humanitarian Law from Sanremo in Italy defined the concept more specifically.
“Humanitarian assistance can transit, in this case, through the so-called humanitarian corridors, which must be respected and protected by the relevant authorities and, if necessary, under the authority of the United Nations,” they said.
Even before international organisations recognised humanitarian corridors, such zones were defined in armed conflicts including in World War II when Jewish children were evacuated from areas under Nazi control to the United Kingdom.
Humanitarian corridors have been frequently used in the Syrian civil war, Libyan civil war, and Gaza war among other such conflict zones.
With inputs from agencies
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