The bar of 2 million people fleeing the fighting in Ukraine to find refuge abroad was exceeded on Tuesday.
The 2 million mark fleeing fighting in Ukraine to seek refuge abroad was passed on Tuesday, just 12 days after the start of the invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the latest UN tally .
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– 2,011,312 refugees –
The High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) listed exactly 2,011,312 refugees on its dedicated website around 10:30 GMT. These are more than 276,000 more than during the previous score on Monday.
The authorities and the UN expect the flow to intensify further, particularly in the event of the opening of humanitarian corridors which should theoretically allow civilians surrounded in major Ukrainian cities to get out.
Several attempts in this direction have so far failed.
“Today the flow of refugees from Ukraine reaches 2 million. 2 million,” tweeted High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. According to him, it is the fastest exodus that Europe has known since the Second World War.
He has just paid a visit to Romania, Moldova and Poland, three of the countries bordering Ukraine, which host the most people who fled their country after the invasion. Mr. Grandi hailed their “exemplary” welcome.
According to the UN, four million people may want to leave the country to escape the war.
Before this conflict, Ukraine was populated by more than 37 million people in the territories controlled by Kiev – which therefore does not include the Crimea annexed by Russia, nor the areas under the control of pro-Russian separatists.
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– Poland –
Poland alone hosts more than half of all refugees who have fled since the start of the Russian invasion. In total, they were 1,204,403, according to the UNHCR count. Before this crisis, Poland was already home to around 1.5 million Ukrainians who came, for the most part, to work in this member country of the European Union.
– Hungary –
Hungary hosted 191,348 people, or just under 10% of the total, according to updated figures from the UNHCR compared to the previous tally but still dated Monday.
The country has five border posts with Ukraine and several border towns, such as Zahony, have converted public buildings into relief centers, where Hungarian civilians come to offer food or assistance.
– Slovakia –
Slovakia counted 140,745 people who had fled Ukraine, according to the updated UNHCR update, again published on Tuesday but dated the day before. Police said 12,576 people crossed the border into Ukraine on Monday alone.
– Russia –
The number of people seeking refuge in Russia has not been refreshed since March 3, when it stood at 99,300. The UNHCR also notes that between February 18 and 23, 96,000 people crossed from the pro-Russian separatist territories of Donetsk and Luhansk into Russia.
– Moldova –
After their arrival in Moldova, a small country of 2.6 million inhabitants and one of the poorest in Europe, some of the refugees continue their journey to Romania or Hungary, often to find family.
According to the UNHCR count, 82,762 Ukrainian refugees were registered in the country, according to figures dating back to Sunday.
– Romania –
In Romania, the UNHCR counts 82,062 refugees, according to figures dating back to Sunday. As with Moldova, many refugees decide to move on once they are safe.
– Elsewhere –
The UNHCR also specified that 210,239 people, or more than 10%, had continued their journey, once the Ukrainian border had been crossed, towards other European countries.
Photo credit: REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch
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