Nearly 3 million Ukrainian refugees have left the countries bordering Ukraine, where they had flocked after the Russian invasion, to move to other non-neighbouring European countries, the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Friday. ) of ONU.
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A total of 6,659,220 Ukrainians have fled their country since the Russian invasion on February 24, according to UNHCR figures. Of these, more than 3.5 million headed west to Poland.
“According to the latest data we have (…), 2.9 million refugees have moved beyond the neighboring countries of Ukraine”, said Shabia Mantoo, spokesperson for the UNHCR, during a press briefing in Geneva.
The largest numbers of Ukrainian refugees in non-neighbouring countries were in Germany, the Czech Republic and Italy, according to the UN agency.
Poland remains the main country of arrival. In early March, around 100,000 refugees a day were arriving at the Polish border, but their numbers slowed to around 20,000 during May.
“Newly arrived refugees often come from areas heavily affected by fighting,” said Olga Sarrado, also a UNHCR spokesperson.
“They often arrive in a state of distress and anxiety, having left family members behind,” she told the news conference, via video link from a refugee registration center in Warsaw.
More than 1.1 million people have registered with the Polish authorities and received a state identification number that gives them access to public services, according to UNHCR.
Women and children make up 94% of those registered.
“We have also observed more ‘commuting’ movements, consisting of some people moving back and forth between Poland and Ukraine for various reasons, including to visit family, check on the condition of their belongings or return to work. “, noted Ms. Sarrado.
“However, Poland expects to continue to receive and host a considerable number of refugees, given the large number of internally displaced people, the massive destruction and the continuing hostilities in Ukraine,” said she continued.
Prior to the Russian invasion, Ukraine had a population of 37 million people in areas under its government’s control. This figure excludes Crimea (south) annexed in 2014 by Russia, and the eastern regions controlled by pro-Russian separatists.