Neighbors, Humanitarians Respond To Refugee Crisis In Ukraine
Editor’s Note: As Russia wages a brutal war on its neighbor Ukraine, people are fleeing the country en masse spurring a call for humanitarian funding and action.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that up to 4 million Ukrainians may seek refuge in other countries. The agency is seeking $1.7 billion in funds to help it provide humanitarian relief to refugees as well as the millions of people who stay behind in Ukraine.
The flood of people seeking refuge could become “Europe’s largest refugee crisis this century,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said this week.
“Casualty numbers are rising fast. This is the darkest hour for the people of Ukraine,” UN Humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said, according to the agency’s March 1 release. “We need to ramp up our response now to protect the lives and dignity of ordinary Ukrainians. We must respond with compassion and solidarity.”
Humanitarian Coordination
At the beginning of Russia’s invasion, the UN agency said its staff was coordinating with adjacent countries “to provide humanitarian assistance wherever necessary and possible.” Additionally, the UN acknowledge it is working with neighboring countries to keep borders open and to assist with the safe and effective emigration of Ukraine citizens as they prepare for a mass exodus of people.
The global community including countries like Ireland, Spain, Brazil are lifting requirements for emigrating Ukrainian citizens. The United States is suggesting Ukrainians migrate to other countries while monitoring the situation and continuing military aid.
So far, over 450,000 Ukrainians have emigrated to neighboring Poland, according to a Reuters report today. Other evacuees are fleeing to Hungary, Moldova, Romania, and Slovakia. The UN agency is present at the borders, providing support, handling the intake of supplies and working with governments on processing paperwork. The agency said its staff is trying to provide humanitarian relief in Ukraine as well. But that is difficult, according to its March 1 update.
“UNHCR is also ramping up its response in Ukraine to help displaced and conflict affected people. But the volatile situation, security concerns, lack of safe access for humanitarian workers and movement restrictions are posing major challenges for aid workers, including UNHCR staff,: the agency said.
The International Organization for Migration is also sending its teams to the borders and in the neighboring countries to support refugees.
Men Stay to Defend Their Homeland
Most emigrants are women and children as Ukraine has issued a national call for military service for men between the ages of 18 and 60 to defend their homeland. The United Nations estimates as many as 5 million people could become refugees.
Additional reporting by Patti Mohr.
