U.N. Says Syria Needs Food but Not Humanitarian Corridors

The United Nations said Friday that international help is needed to feed 1.5 million people in crisis-torn Syria, but humanitarian corridors were not yet justified.

U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said almost three million people out of Syria's population of about 20.5 million had been affected by the deadly crackdown on protests launched by President Bashar Assad since March.

Thousands are now in camps in neighboring Lebanon and Turkey and many more have fled protest cities to seek refuge with family and friends in other parts of Syria.

"Growing needs have led the Red Crescent to request additional support to feed 1.5 million people," Amos, the U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in a statement.

The Syrian Red Crescent and other Syrian groups and individuals have so far provided the bulk of humanitarian relief in Syria because the government has severely restricted access.

"As of now, the United Nations and partners have been unable to comprehensively assess people’s needs," Amos said.

The U.N. official referred to a number of suggestions for setting up humanitarian corridors and safe zones.

"At present, the humanitarian needs identified in Syria does not warrant the implementation of either of these mechanisms. Before any further discussion of these options, it is essential to get a clearer sense of what exactly people need, and where," Amos said.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe this week suggested setting up protected escape routes for Syrian civilians fleeing the unrest, but he acknowledged that it would need either the agreement of the Syrian government or an international mandate.

The U.N. estimates that at least 3,500 people have been killed in the crackdown since mid-March.