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Russia-Ukraine conflict: In a week, one million flee fighting in biggest refugee crisis in 100 years, says UN

WION Web Team
GenevaUpdated: Mar 03, 2022, 11:18 AM IST
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One million people have fled Ukraine in less than a week. Photograph:(Reuters)

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The UN officials and others have also praised the response of Ukraine's neighbours, who have opened gymnasiums, homes and other facilities to take in the refugees. Over 505,000 refugees from Ukraine have gone to Poland and more than 116,000 travelled to Hungary. Moldova has taken in over 79,000 and 71,200 had entered Slovakia, as per the latest figures on UNHCR's online data portal

One million people have fled Ukraine in less than a week since Russia's invasion, the UN refugee agency said on Thursday.  

It is one of the biggest refugee crises in 100 years, said UN.

The UN High Commissioner’s tally for refugees is more than 2% of Ukraine's population, which was 44 million at the end of 2020 as per World Bank.   

In an email, UNHCR spokeswoman Joung-ah Ghedini-Williams wrote, "Our data indicates we passed the 1M mark" as of midnight in central Europe. It is based on counts collected by the national authorities.  

On Twitter, UN High Commissioner Filippo Grandi wrote, "In just seven days, we have witnessed the exodus of one million refugees from Ukraine to neighbouring countries."  

Grandi also appealed for the "guns to fall silent" in Ukraine so humanitarian aid could reach millions of people still inside Ukraine.   

The UN officials and others have also praised the response of Ukraine's neighbours, who have opened gymnasiums, homes and other facilities to take in the refugees.   

UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo said on Wednesday that "at this rate, the outflows from Ukraine could make it the source of the biggest refugee crisis in this century."   

Over 505,000 refugees from Ukraine have gone to Poland and more than 116,000 travelled to Hungary. Moldova has taken in over 79,000 and 71,200 had entered Slovakia, as per the latest figures on UNHCR's online data portal.  

(With inputs from agencies)