The ukrainian war is causing a mass exodus of citizens fleeing Russian attacks. Since the beginning of the invasion on February 24, more than three million people have fled the country, according to the latest balance of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This figure is increasing every hour as the Kremlin steps up the offensive.
“We have just received the latest figures and we can confirm that the mark of three million refugees has been exceeded,” Paul Dilon, spokesman for this UN body in Geneva, told the press.
Of this total, about 90% are women and children, according to the UNHCR, and among them there are also 157,000 citizens of other countries who fled Ukraine, according to the IOM. The UN Refugee Agency considers this exodus the fastest since World War II
Poland
A total of 1.91 million people have already crossed the border Poland since the beginning of the Russian offensive Ukraine, most of them women and children. In this country, where 1.5 million Ukrainians already lived before the invasion, citizens are organizing through social networks to raise money and medicine, as well as to offer free housing, food, work or transport to refugees. .
moldova
A total of 337,000 refugees. The Government has decreed state of emergency but, like all the countries in the area, it has clarified that it will keep its borders open. “We must be in solidarity with the Ukrainians,” said the president, Maia Sandu.
Romania
UNHCR has counted in Romania more than 422,000 refugees from Ukraine. They have been installed in two camps, one in Sighetul and the other in Siret, where there are about 40 residents who will be transferred to other reception centers.
Hungary
More of 282,000 Ukrainiansmostly women, have already arrived in Hungary on foot, dragging suitcases and pushing pushchairs. Most of those who arrive in Hungary through Beregsurány do so on foot, with few belongings, because entering by car can take hours or even days of waiting. Some of those fleeing have even abandoned their vehicles across the border. The country has five border posts with Ukraine and several neighboring cities have arranged Public Buildings to house the refugees.
Slovakia
The Slovakian authorities declared the state of emergency due to the “large flow of refugees from Ukraine,” according to a statement sent by the Government. The number of Ukrainians who have entered in the country is 228,000, according to the latest count from the UN agency. The measure aims to “create the necessary conditions to facilitate the stay of refugees on the territory of Slovakia”, according to the note collected by the Slovak news portal Spectator. Right now Slovakia is going through a exceptional situation being under two simultaneous states of emergency since the one declared in November last year to combat the coronavirus pandemic is still in force.
Other countries
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UNHCR has also counted the country’s flight of 142,000 people from the separatist regions of Donetsk and Lugansk – controlled by pro-Russian militias since 2014 – towards Russia. From the north, 1,200 people have left through Belarus.
In addition, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 1.9 million internally displaced personsthat is, people who have left their homes in Ukraine at some point in the conflict that began almost eight years ago but have not left the country.