More than six million Ukrainians have fled their country since the Russian army’s invasion began on February 24, the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in Geneva on Thursday.
As of May 11, 6,029,705 Ukrainians have sought refuge first in neighboring countries before often continuing their odyssey, according to UNHCR’s dedicated website. Poland hosts the largest number of refugees (3,272,943 as of May 11). Women and children represent 90% of these refugees, men between the ages of 18 and 60, who are likely to be mobilized without the right to leave. After the start of hostilities, the daily flow of refugees has been significantly reduced.
8.3 million Ukrainians could flee this year
In March, nearly 3.4 million Ukrainians left their country, often in a hurry and with very few personal belongings. In April, just over 1.5 million decided to flee the fighting and violence. Since the beginning of May, almost 493,000 Ukrainians have crossed the border to seek refuge elsewhere. According to UN estimates published in late April, some 8.3 million people could flee this year.
In addition to these refugees, there are about eight million internally displaced people, according to an estimate made by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in early May. Before the Russian invasion, Ukraine had a population of 37 million in its government-controlled areas. This number does not include Crimea (South), which was annexed by Russia in 2014, and the eastern regions controlled by pro-Russian separatists.
The outpouring of solidarity in neighboring countries and elsewhere in the Old Continent beyond has been unprecedented, helping the largest influx of refugees Europe has experienced since the end of World War II. Solidarity from individuals, NGOs and other associations, but also from states that have contributed to the resettlement of refugees. An outpouring of generosity and mobilization of public aid, in stark contrast to the much more mixed reception accorded to refugees from other theaters of war, such as Afghanistan or Syria.
According to UNHCR, just under 1.6 million Ukrainians have also returned to the country, sometimes temporarily or to resettle where the fighting has ended, particularly around the capital, Kyiv. With around 896,000 refugees, Romania, Hungary (583,000) and Moldova (460,000) are also the main destinations for those fleeing Ukraine before they often head west. More than 785,000 Ukrainians have also crossed into Russia, according to UNHCR.
Source: Le Figaro
