UNHCR: One million Ukrainian refugees fled their country since beginning of Russian invasion
March 3, 2022, 5:01 pm

UNHCR: One million Ukrainian refugees fled their country since beginning of Russian invasion

This is the basement area of the Municipal Perinatal Hospital in Kharkiv. Tiny newborns and older infants that are sick and need special care (File photo and text: Euromaidan Press)

The Arab News reported, citing the AFP, the United Nations said Thursday that one million refugees have fled Ukraine in the week since Russia’s invasion, warning that unless the conflict ended immediately, millions more were likely to flee.

UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi tweeted: “In just seven days we have witnessed the exodus of one million refugees from Ukraine to neighboring countries."

Grandi warned: “Unless there is an immediate end to the conflict, millions more are likely to be forced to flee Ukraine."

According to frequently updated UNHCR data, 1,002,860 have now fled Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion on February 24.

Grandi said the numbers were rising with incredible speed.

He said: “I have worked in refugee emergencies for almost 40 years, and rarely have I seen an exodus as rapid as this one."

This is the basement area of the Municipal Perinatal Hospital in Kharkiv. Tiny newborns and older infants that are sick and need special care (File photo and text: Euromaidan Press)

He mentioned: “Hour by hour, minute by minute, more people are fleeing the terrifying reality of violence."

More than half of those who have fled Ukraine have crossed into neighboring Poland. Hungary, Moldova, Hungary and Slovakia have also welcomed many refugees.

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The UNHCR said more than 505,500 people have left Ukraine for Poland in the past week. Poland’s border guards put the figure at over 575,000 by early Thursday, with 95,000 having crossed on Wednesday alone.

Countless people have also been displaced inside the Ukraine.

Grandi said UNHCR staff and other humanitarians were “working where and when they can in frightening conditions” inside Ukraine.

“Our staff stay, even at great risk, because we know the needs in the country are huge.”

The UN refugee chief also hailed the “remarkable” response of governments and local communities in surrounding countries that have received the more than one million refugees.

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He said: “International solidarity has been heart-warming."

“But nothing — nothing — can replace the need for the guns to be silenced; for dialogue and diplomacy to succeed. Peace is the only way to halt this tragedy.”

Source: arabnews

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.