Kiev, Europe Brief News – Nearly 3.5 million Ukrainians have now fled the country since the Russian invasion, the UN revealed.
UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said 3,489,644 Ukrainians had fled the country since Russia invaded on February 24 — a figure up 100,600 on Sunday’s update.
The UN agency also praised neighbouring countries for showing overwhelming compassion towards their “extreme plight”.
“Over the last four weeks, the world has watched in disbelief. Countless lives have been lost while millions of others have been completely upended,” UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi said.
“As if to counter the despair, we have also witnessed overwhelming acts of welcome and compassion as neighbouring countries, particularly local responders, have opened their hearts and homes to Ukrainians.
“Millions around the world were rightly moved by the extreme plight of the Ukrainian people,” he said, citing their “pain and sorrow… loss and anguish”, and “relief at finding safety and trepidation of an uncertain future”.
Women and children account some 90 percent of those who have fled. Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 are eligible for military call-up and cannot leave.
UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, said more than 1.5 million children are among those who have fled abroad.
Millions of refugees have been fleeing the country, crossing to neighbouring countries to the west. Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Moldova have received thousands. However, smaller numbers have gone to Russia and Belarus.
