United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi announced that as a result of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, 10 million people have fled their homes so far, about a quarter of the population.
“Among the responsibilities of those who make war anywhere in the world is the suffering of civilians who are forced to flee their homes. The war in Ukraine is so devastating that 10 million people have fled, displaced within the country or abroad”, announced Grandi on Twitter, as reported by the BBC.
Russia’s military operation in Ukraine began on February 24, and since then, millions of people have fled to neighbouring countries. Poland alone has received more than two million Ukrainian refugees.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) announced furthermore that at least 902 civilians had been killed and 1,459 wounded by the time the report was published.
Most were killed in bombardments by heavy artillery and multi-barrel missile systems, as well as in missile and air strikes, said the OHCHR, Reuters reported.
However, the actual death toll is thought to be much higher, as the OHCHR, which has a large monitoring team in Ukraine, has not yet been able to verify reports of casualties in hard-hit cities including Mariupol.
Foto: UNHCR/Valerio Muscella