The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
FARFROMHOME
A month after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, 10 million residents of that country — that’s 1 in 4 — have been forced from their homes and have sought shelter elsewhere. Nearly 4 million have fled the country and it’s been suggested that number could swell up to 7 million. This has resulted in Europe’s largest mass migration since World War II.
A GROWING CRISIS FOR UKRAINIAN REFUGEES
More than 10 million people have been displaced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the United Nations Refugee Agency said last week. They fled their homes with small suitcases, their children and even household pets. Most of their belongings were left behind.
Two thirds of them are seeking refuge in what are perceived to be safer areas of Ukraine. A third have fled the country. A significant portion of those may never return.
The civilian evacuations have been hampered by bombardments and shelling from Russian forces. In some cases, Russia agreed to create evacuation corridors for civilians to leave populated areas. In some causes those corridors were bombed anyway.
Nearly 30% of the refugees have come from the capital city of Kyiv, which has been under heavy bombardment since Day One by Russian forces but has resisted capture.
More than 36% of refugees fled the eastern regions of Ukraine. 20% fled from the north.
Only 5% of those who left their homes did so before the invasion began. Most refugees waited until their homes or neighborhoods were affected by the invasion.
In countries bordering Ukraine, refugees who can’t stay with friends or relatives are staying in reception centers, where they are given food, medical care and information about where they could head next.
Poland, which has taken in the largest number of refugees, has said it’ll need more money than the European Union is currently offering in order to house the people arriving there. Moldova — which has taken in fewer refugees but is a tiny country to begin with — is also appealing for financial assistance.
The United Kingdom launched a system that would grant visas to Ukrainians who have family members already in the U.K. As of March 21, 12,400 of these visas had been issued.
A study last year by the Disaster Research and Analysis Program at the RAND Corporation found that after a conflict ends, only about 30% of refugees, on average, return to their countries of origin.
The European Union has said it will provide temporary protection status to Ukrainian refugees for a year with the possibility of extending that for up to three years. But it’s also possible that some refugees may need help longer than that — or even permanent homes.