"I think of the elderly. Of all those who are right now seeking shelter. Of mothers fleeing with their children. They are our brothers and sisters, for whom humanitarian corridors must be opened urgently and reception arrangements put in place." At the Angelus prayer on Wednesday 28 February, Pope Francis made an appeal for aid to be organised for the population of Ukraine.

• What international humanitarian law is and how it works
• When humanitarian corridors were established and how they work
• The notion of humanitarian corridors has not always been unambiguous
• Convoy escorts, prisoners of war, the wounded
• 1.7 billion dollars needed to provide aid in Ukraine

What international humanitarian law is and how it works

Reaching civilians in war zones, however, is never straightforward. When an armed conflict breaks out, within a matter of days those living under bombs or who have been forced to leave their homes need everything: food, water, medicines, clothing, washing kits. To this end, first the Geneva Convention, and subsequently a series of United Nations resolutions, have governed interventions in favour of populations "affected by catastrophic events". Whether caused by natural disasters or, as in the case of armed conflicts, by human action.

United Nations ✓ @UN

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Amid ongoing hostilities in Ukraine, 12 million people need urgent humanitarian assistance.

The UN has launched an emergency appeal for $1.7 billion to deliver aid to people inside Ukraine & to refugees who have fled to neighboring countries. reliefweb.int/report/ukraine…

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The rules of international humanitarian law concern in particular the right of access, although it must be said that UN resolutions do not have legally binding force, except where they are adopted by the Security Council. The framework they set out, however, confirms "the sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity" of states. And it recognises the fact that, in the first instance, the responsibility for aid to victims of emergency situations rests with the nation in which the disasters occur. Nevertheless, international humanitarian law itself also acknowledges that, in such situations, large-scale relief operations may be necessary. This is in order to limit the suffering of the civilian population and with the aim of reducing the number of deaths.

When humanitarian corridors were established and how they work

For this reason, international organisations are permitted to intervene (for example United Nations agencies, such as the High Commissioner for Refugees, Unicef, and the FAO). Exactly as is the case with NGOs. This is primarily in order to ensure an adequate supply of food, medicines and medical care, tents or other essential goods. In this sense, as specified by resolution A43/131 of 1988, it is "indispensable to guarantee access to victims".

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"I have worked in refugee crises for almost 40 years and I have rarely seen such an incredibly fast exodus of people."

High Commissioner @FilippoGrandi addresses @UN Security Council as a sixth night of anguish falls over Europe unhcr.org/admin/hcspeech…

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Precisely to this end, the United Nations General Assembly, through a second resolution (A45/100 of 14 December 1990), proposed the creation, where necessary, of "humanitarian corridors". That is, passageways along which it is possible to move in safety, not only in order to transport food and medical supplies, but also to allow the evacuation of refugees. Furthermore, the presence of UN agencies and civil society organisations makes it possible to obtain direct and independent information on the real situation of the population on the ground.

The notion of humanitarian corridors has not always been unambiguous

This notion of humanitarian corridors has, however, been interpreted with different nuances throughout history. Numerous Security Council resolutions have indeed mentioned the need to create such access routes: in the case, for example, of conflicts in Sudan, Iraq, Liberia, Angola, Somalia and the Balkans. But this has not always translated into success.

The case of resolution 688 of 5 April 1991 is emblematic in this regard. At the time, the Security Council had to "insist" that the government of Baghdad guarantee immediate access to its territory for international humanitarian organisations, in order to assist the population during the First Gulf War. Reaching the civilian population was, in fact, extremely complicated. The same occurred, many years later, in the case of the conflict in Syria, and in particular in the beleaguered region of Idlib.

Convoy escorts, prisoners of war, the wounded

Moreover, humanitarian corridors, where they have existed, have rarely represented genuine "free" zones in which the population could move freely and safely. On numerous occasions, resolutions have operated within the broader framework of peacekeeping operations, backed by the use of force at an international level. This was the case in Iraqi Kurdistan, in Somalia, and also in the NATO intervention in Kosovo. In such situations, in practice, the notion of humanitarian corridors did not take the form of the creation of genuine access routes, but was limited to simply ensuring that aid convoys were escorted by armed military personnel.

UN Humanitarian @UNOCHA

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Today, we are launching emergency appeals for a combined $1.7 billion to urgently deliver humanitarian support to people inside #Ukraine and refugees in neighbouring countries.

Find out more 👇

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Specific provisions are also made, for example, for the International Red Cross and NGOs, which are also authorised — in principle — to visit locations where prisoners of war or persons detained in connection with conflicts are held. More generally, humanitarian law provides protection for the wounded, the sick, and nationals of countries that have declared war on the state in which they find themselves.

1.7 billion dollars needed to provide aid in Ukraine

In the case of Ukraine, it is not yet clear whether humanitarian corridors have been guaranteed. A European Member of Parliament, Manon Aubry, on Monday the 28th called for their activation "both to allow aid to reach civilians, and to allow them to flee". As of now, however, it is not known whether or when this will happen.

What is known is that numerous countries have pledged aid: the United States has allocated 54 million dollars, Italy 110 million, the Netherlands 20. Spain will send 20 tonnes of materials. Around sixty workers from the NGO Médecins Sans Frontières are present across Ukraine and neighbouring countries (Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Romania and Slovakia). Meanwhile the organisation Care Internationale, which has been operating alongside People in Need in Ukraine since 2014, is providing the first relief supplies.

A far broader relief plan for the population is nonetheless needed. On Tuesday 1 March, the United Nations called for funds of at least 1.7 billion euros with the aim of providing sufficient aid in Ukraine.