The number of refugees from Ukraine already exceeds two million, according to UNHCR

The number of people who have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24 exceeded two million on Tuesday, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The organization’s website states that 2,011,312 people left the country and that Poland received more than half (1,204,403).

“Today, the outflow of refugees from Ukraine reached 2 million. 2 millions”the High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, tweeted minutes earlier.

Grandi visited Romania, Moldova and Poland, three countries bordering Ukraine, where Russia launched a military offensive on February 24.

Grandi applauded the “exemplary” reception provided by these three countries, during a press conference in Oslo.

The person in charge considered that “for the moment” these countries were managing the arrival of refugees because they have “some resources”.

“Many arrive by car and, above all, they have connections, they can go where they have family, friends, a community,” he explained.

“It is possible that if the war continues […] we start to see people without resources or connections and this will be a more difficult problem for European countries to manage”, stressed.

The wars in the Balkans, in Bosnia and in Kosovo, also caused a huge flow of refugees, “between two and three million, but in a period of eight years”he pointed. “Now we are talking about eight days”he added.

“In other regions of the world we did see this, but in Europe it is the first time since World War II.”, he assured.

After several unsuccessful attempts, this Tuesday the first humanitarian corridors were established in Ukraine for civilians to leave the main cities, punished by the war for almost two weeks.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO