World: Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, over 4.9 million people in Ukraine have fled from their country in order to remain safe from hostilities.
The United Nations have also warned that there might be higher risks of women and child refugees exploitation.
According to the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, about 4,934,415 Ukrainians had fled from Ukraine — a figure up 65,396 on Sunday’s total.
The data from U.N.’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) reveals that about 215,000 third-country citizens have escaped the country, which involves especially students and migrant workers who have also left for neighbouring nations, which means in all over five million individuals have fled Ukraine since the war erupted.
This situation is noted as one of the fastest-growing displacement and humanitarian crises ever.
Moreover, children and women account for 90 per cent of those who fled, with men aged between 18 to 60 eligible for army call-up and unable to leave.
Nearly two-thirds of all children of Ukraine have been forced from their houses, including the ones who are still within the country.
“Refugees from Ukraine, which includes the vast majority of women and children, face high risks of sexual exploitation, abuse and human trafficking,” stated UNHCR. “We are on the ground at the border points and beyond, taking preventative steps.”
As per the reports, over 2.75 million Ukrainian refugees have escaped to Poland. Almost 740,000 arrived in Romania.
According to figures given by UNHCR, around 645,000 people from Ukraine have left in February, with approximately 3.4 million doing so in March and nearly 900,000 going so far this month.
Apart from refugees, the IOM predicts that around 7.1 million people have fled from their residences but are still in Ukraine.
“In this present scenario, our thoughts are with all the people who have been forced to flee their homes and have had to start their new life by forgetting their previous life,” the UNHCR said.
Ukraine has had a total population of 37 million in the areas which were under government control just before the invasion, excluding the regions controlled by Russian occupant forces.
