Hollande discusses humanitarian situation with Syrian opposition

Diplomats have started exploring whether they could get enough votes to pass a U.N. Security Council resolution to help aid groups get into Syria as the death count mounts, Reuters cited a French diplomatic source as saying on Wednesday. Syria's civil war has killed more than 100,000 people and left millions homeless. France's foreign minister said on Monday the Security Council, which has been deadlocked over how to respond to the war, needed to tackle the humanitarian crisis. "There are ideas that are still being worked on to see if, at least on the humanitarian side, it would be possible to have a resolution on access," the French diplomatic source said. "At this stage it is a reflection, but it's not certain it will lead anywhere," the source added without specifying what access would entail. Veto-wielding Security Council members China and Russia have already blocked three resolutions backed by the United States and European powers aimed at sanctioning Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Moscow, Assad's main arms supplier, has also indicated it would not support any resolution opening up "safe zones" or "humanitarian corridors" in Syria, suggesting the West could use them as an excuse to intervene in the conflict.