French proposals for “humanitarian corridors” in Syria to help civilians affected by eight months of unrest are not justified by humanitarian needs identified so far in the country, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator said. Valerie Amos said 3 million people had been affected by the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, and Syria’s Red Crescent had sought support to feed 1.5 million people. “A number of suggestions have been made on how to provide assistance to Syrians affected by the current unrest,” Amos said, referring to proposals for humanitarian corridors or buffer zones. “At present, the humanitarian needs identified in Syria do not warrant the implementation of either of those mechanisms,” she said, adding that the United Nations had been unable to assess comprehensively those needs because of the limited number of international staff operating in Syria. “Before any further discussion of these options, it is essential to get a clearer sense of what exactly people need, and where,” Amos said in a statement released on Friday.
