Geneva – AFP
The United Nations warned Sunday that the number of people fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine has exceeded 1.5 million, creating the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.
“More than 1.5 million refugees crossed from Ukraine to neighboring countries in ten days, in what is the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II,” the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said on Twitter.
United Nations officials said they expected the crisis to intensify as the Russian army intensified its operations, especially towards the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
The Polish border guards announced that 922,400 people have fled Ukraine to Poland since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24.
Ukrainian refugees have also arrived in Hungary, Moldova, Romania and Slovakia.
The World Health Organization has reported increasing indications of targeting health centers in Ukraine, which it says amount to a violation of health sector neutrality and international human rights law.