The ukrainian war is causing a mass exodus of citizens fleeing Russian attacks. Since the beginning of the invasion on February 24, 2.8 million people have fled the country, according to the latest balance of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). This figure is increasing every hour as the Kremlin steps up the offensive.
More than half of the refugees have gone to Poland and some thousands have already arrived in third countries, such as the Czech Republic, where there is a significant Ukrainian community, according to UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi.
Poland
A total of 1.7 million people have already crossed the border Poland since the beginning of the Russian offensive Ukraine, most of them women and children. In this country, where 1.5 million Ukrainians already lived before the invasion, citizens are organizing through social networks to raise money and medicine, as well as to offer free housing, food, work or transport to refugees. .
moldova
A total of 106,000 refugees. The Government has decreed state of emergency but, like all the countries in the area, it has clarified that it will keep its borders open. “We must be in solidarity with the Ukrainians,” said the president, Maia Sandu.
Romania
UNHCR has counted in Romania about 255,000 refugees from Ukraine. They have been installed in two camps, one in Sighetul and the other in Siret, where there are about 40 residents who will be transferred to other reception centers.
Hungary
More of 85,000 Ukrainiansmostly women, have already arrived in Hungary on foot, dragging suitcases and pushing pushchairs. Most of those who arrive in Hungary through Beregsurány do so on foot, with few belongings, because entering by car can take hours or even days of waiting. Some of those fleeing have even abandoned their vehicles across the border. The country has five border posts with Ukraine and several neighboring cities have arranged Public Buildings to house the refugees.
Slovakia
The Slovakian authorities declared the state of emergency last Saturday due to the “large flow of refugees from Ukraine,” according to the statement sent by the Government. The number of Ukrainians who have entered in the country is 196,000, according to the latest count from the UN agency. The measure aims to “create the necessary conditions to facilitate the stay of refugees on the territory of Slovakia”, according to the note collected by the Slovak news portal Spectator. Right now Slovakia is going through a exceptional situation being under two simultaneous states of emergency since the one declared in November last year to combat the coronavirus pandemic is still in force.
Other countries
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UNHCR has also counted the country’s flight of 250,000 people from the separatist regions of Donetsk and Lugansk – under the control of pro-Russian militias since 2014 – towards Russia. From the north, 384 people have left through Belarus.
Also, 110,000 Ukrainians have gone to other European countries not bordering Ukraine.
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.