The number of refugees fleeing Ukraine for neighboring countries jumped again to almost 836,000 in 1er March, according to a census by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees published Wednesday on its website.
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This is a jump of almost 160,000 people from the figure of 677,000 put forward on Tuesday by the High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, during an emergency appeal for funding for humanitarian aid for the country and the people who fled the fighting.
AFP
A Romanian firefighter holds a young Ukrainian refugee in his arms.
The UNHCR counted precisely 835,928 people, of whom 453,982 had found refuge in Poland alone.
Since the beginning of hostilities and the flow of refugees that followed, Poland has been the main host country.
AFP
Women and children, refugees from Ukraine, arrive at the Romanian border.
Hungary comes next with 116,348 refugees, or 14% of the total.
Slovakia for its part hosted 67,000 refugees, or 8%, as of 1er March and Russia 5.1% (42,900 people).
Figures for other major countries had yet to be updated as of 1100 GMT.
The authorities and the UN expect the flow to intensify further, as the Russian army seems to be concentrating its efforts on major Ukrainian cities.
According to the UN, 4 million people may want to leave the country to escape the war.
“We are witnessing what could become the most serious refugee crisis in Europe this century”, launched Filippo Grandi, Tuesday in Geneva.
The UN and its partner organizations launched an emergency appeal on Tuesday to raise $1.7 billion, including $1.1 billion to help Ukrainians who have not fled and just over $550 million for refugees.
874 026
The High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) listed exactly 874,026 refugees on its dedicated website at 12:00 GMT, or 196,783 more people than the day before.
The authorities and the UN expect the flow to intensify further, as the Russian army seems to be concentrating its efforts on major Ukrainian cities.
According to the UN, 4 million people may want to leave the country to escape the war.
Ukraine is populated by more than 37 million people in the territories controlled by Kyiv – which therefore does not include the Crimea annexed by Russia or the areas under separatist control.
Poland
Poland, which has taken up the cause of Ukraine, is hosting by far the largest number of refugees arriving since the start of the Russian invasion. In total, they were 453,982, according to the UNHCR count, or 51.9% of the total.
According to Polish border guards, 98,000 people entered Poland from Ukraine on Tuesday alone.
The solidarity effort towards refugees who often arrive with very little is based in particular on social networks, where people organize themselves, collect money, medicine, offer accommodation, meals, work or free transport for refugees.
Before this crisis, Poland was already home to around 1.5 million Ukrainians, most of whom came to work in this European Union member country.
Hungary
Hungary has taken in 116,348 refugees, according to the UNHCR.
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.
Moldova
The number of refugees jumped in Moldova, rising to 79,315 or 9.1% of the total number. against less than 40,000 on Monday.
Slovakia
Some 67,000 people fled Ukraine and took refuge in Slovakia, 7.7% of the total, according to UNHCR.
Romania
In Romania, UNHCR counted 44,540 refugees. The authorities mention 118,461 refugees who have entered Romania since the invasion, of which some 70,000 have already left the territory.
Two camps have been set up, one in Sighetu Marmatiei and the other in Siret.
Elsewhere
The UNHCR also specified that 69,600 people (8% of the total) had continued their journey, once the Ukrainian border had been crossed, towards other European countries.
Thus, the Czech Republic has taken in 20,000 refugees since the start of the war, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Wednesday. A police spokeswoman told AFP that 14,000 had registered within 72 hours of their arrival as required by law.