Geneva (Switzerland): The U.N. refugee agency says more than 3.5 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, passing another milestone in an exodus that has led to Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II.
UNHCR reported Tuesday that 3.53 million people have left Ukraine, with Poland taking in the lion’s share — more than 2.1 million — followed by Romania with more than 540,000 and Moldova with more than 367,000.
Shortly after the invasion on Feb. 24, UNHCR predicted that some 4 million refugees might leave Ukraine, though it has been re-assessing that prediction. The outflows have been slowing in recent days after peaking at more than 200,000 each on two straight days in early March.
The International Organization for Migration estimates that nearly 6.5 million people are internally displaced within Ukraine, suggesting that some if not most of them might to flee abroad if the war continues.
With the fastest-growing flow of people the world has ever recorded fleeing Russia's three-week-old invasion of Ukraine, the UNHCR has said that humanitarian needs are escalating exponentially.
The number of Ukrainian people displaced both inside and outside the country has now exceeded 10 million, says UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi. Over 3.5 million of them - mostly women and children - have poured over Ukraine’s western borders to escape Russian bombardment of towns and cities.
The escalation of conflict in Ukraine has caused destruction of civilian infrastructure and civilian casualties and has forced people to flee their homes seeking safety, protection and assistance. In the first week, more than a million refugees from Ukraine crossed borders into neighbouring countries, and many more are on the move both inside and outside the country.
As the situation continues to unfold, an estimated 4 million or more people may flee Ukraine.
In light of the emergency and paramount humanitarian needs of refugees from Ukraine, an inter-agency regional refugee response is being carried out, in support of refugee-hosting countries’ efforts.
The regional refugee response plan brings together UN, NGO and other relevant partners and primarily focuses on supporting the host country governments to ensure safe access to territory for refugees and third-country nationals fleeing from Ukraine, in line with international standards.
It also focuses on the provision of critical protection services and humanitarian assistance, while displacement dynamics and needs continue to grow exponentially.
An ongoing refugee crisis began in Europe in late February 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Almost 3.5 million refugees have left Ukraine (as of 20 March 2022), while an estimated 6.48 million people have been displaced within the country (as of 16 March 2022).
In total, ten million people – more than a quarter of the population – had left their homes in Ukraine by 20 March. The invasion has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II and its aftermath, the first of its kind in Europe since the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s, and one of the largest refugee crises in the world in the 21st century, with the highest refugee flight rate in the world.
(with inputs from AP)
