‘Heartbreaking crisis’: Over 100,000 Ukrainian refugees flee fighting in 24 hours

In addition to the more than 3 million who have left country since start of fighting, another 2 million have been displaced within its borders in wake of Russian invasion, says UN

By Robin MILLARD 17 March 2022, 2:58 pm Edit
  • Ukrainian Jewish refugees who fled the war gather to read the book of Esther during the Jewish holiday of Purim at Chabad-Lubavitch synagogue in Chisinau, Moldova on March 16, 2022. (GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP)
    Ukrainian Jewish refugees who fled the war gather to read the book of Esther during the Jewish holiday of Purim at Chabad-Lubavitch synagogue in Chisinau, Moldova on March 16, 2022. (GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP)
  • Refugees register for aid after fleeing the war from neighboring Ukraine, in Barabas, Hungary, March 9, 2022. (Darko Vojinovic/AP)
    Refugees register for aid after fleeing the war from neighboring Ukraine, in Barabas, Hungary, March 9, 2022. (Darko Vojinovic/AP)
  • Volunteers entertain children who fled the war in Ukraine at the refugee camp at MoldExpo national exhibition center in Chisinau, Moldova, Monday, March 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
    Volunteers entertain children who fled the war in Ukraine at the refugee camp at MoldExpo national exhibition center in Chisinau, Moldova, Monday, March 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
  • Ukrainian refugees pick up donated food and hygiene and bayby care products at the Warsaw Centralna train station, in Poland, March 16, 2022. (Czarek Sokolowski/AP)
    Ukrainian refugees pick up donated food and hygiene and bayby care products at the Warsaw Centralna train station, in Poland, March 16, 2022. (Czarek Sokolowski/AP)
  • Refugees fleeing the fighting in Ukraine arrive at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, on March 15, 2022. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)
    Refugees fleeing the fighting in Ukraine arrive at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, on March 15, 2022. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)
  • Ukrainian Jewish refugees who fled the war in their country wait inside a hangar in the Moldovan capital Chisinau on March 15, 2022, before heading to the airport to board a plane to Israel. (Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP)
    Ukrainian Jewish refugees who fled the war in their country wait inside a hangar in the Moldovan capital Chisinau on March 15, 2022, before heading to the airport to board a plane to Israel. (Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP)
  • Volunteers with Jewish organization LeMa'anam dressed as clowns play with children as Ukrainian Jewish refugees who fled the war in their country wait to be flown to Israel in the coming days, on March 16, 2022 in the Moldova's capital Chisinau (GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP)
    Volunteers with Jewish organization LeMa'anam dressed as clowns play with children as Ukrainian Jewish refugees who fled the war in their country wait to be flown to Israel in the coming days, on March 16, 2022 in the Moldova's capital Chisinau (GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP)
  • A Moldovan volunteer sings Hebrew songs to raise the spirits of Ukrainian refugees at a transit camp south of Kishinev on March 15, 2022. (Sue Surkes/Times of Israel)
    A Moldovan volunteer sings Hebrew songs to raise the spirits of Ukrainian refugees at a transit camp south of Kishinev on March 15, 2022. (Sue Surkes/Times of Israel)
  • Illustrative: Ukrainian refugees arrive on Polish soil after crossing the border into Medyka, Poland, March 15, 2022. (Carrie Keller-Lynn/The Times of Israel)
    Illustrative: Ukrainian refugees arrive on Polish soil after crossing the border into Medyka, Poland, March 15, 2022. (Carrie Keller-Lynn/The Times of Israel)
  • An aerial view of Ukrainian refugees waiting for transport at the border crossing at Medyka, Poland, March 13, 2022. (AP Photo)
    An aerial view of Ukrainian refugees waiting for transport at the border crossing at Medyka, Poland, March 13, 2022. (AP Photo)
  • Ukrainian refugees queue for food in the welcome area after their arrival at the main train station in Berlin, Germany, March 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
    Ukrainian refugees queue for food in the welcome area after their arrival at the main train station in Berlin, Germany, March 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
  • A German aid activist wearing a dinosaur costum to amuse children talks with Polish soldiers at the Medyka border crossing, southeastern Poland on March 16, 2022. (Louisa GOULIAMAKI / AFP)
    A German aid activist wearing a dinosaur costum to amuse children talks with Polish soldiers at the Medyka border crossing, southeastern Poland on March 16, 2022. (Louisa GOULIAMAKI / AFP)
  • Two taxi drivers carry Ukrainian refugee children in their arms, during a stop at a roadside restaurant in Burgos, on March 16, 2022. (CESAR MANSO / AFP)
    Two taxi drivers carry Ukrainian refugee children in their arms, during a stop at a roadside restaurant in Burgos, on March 16, 2022. (CESAR MANSO / AFP)
  • People fleeing from Ukraine cross the border in Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia, March 4, 2022. (Darko Vojinovic/AP)
    People fleeing from Ukraine cross the border in Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia, March 4, 2022. (Darko Vojinovic/AP)

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The number of refugees fleeing Ukraine since Russia’s invasion grew by more than 100,000 over the past 24 hours, the United Nations said Thursday.

UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said 3,169,897 Ukrainians had fled across the border since the war began on February 24, a figure up 106,802 since Wednesday’s update.

“More than three million people have fled the country, the vast majority women, children and older people who left behind their homes and often family members, not knowing what’s to come,” the agency said.

“Hour by hour, minute by minute, people are fleeing the terrifying reality of violence in Ukraine. Unless the conflict ends, this heartbreaking crisis is set to grow. We need peace, now.”

The UNHCR said that more than two million people still within Ukraine’s borders had also fled their homes.

The UN’s International Organization for Migration said 162,000 third-country nationals had fled the country, as of Wednesday.

A girl rests with her dog in their temporary shelter in the gym of a primary school in Przemysl, near the Ukrainian-Polish border in southeastern Poland on March 16, 2022. ( Louisa GOULIAMAKI / AFP)

The UNHCR initially estimated that up to four million people could leave Ukraine, but last week admitted that figure might well be revised upwards.

Before the conflict, Ukraine had a population of 37 million in the regions under government control, excluding Russia-annexed Crimea and the pro-Russian separatist regions in the east.

Here is a breakdown of where Ukrainian refugees headed to, according to the UNHCR:

Poland

Six in 10 Ukrainian refugees crossed the Polish border, or some 1,916,445 people so far.

The Polish border guards said incoming numbers were down 11 percent on Wednesday compared to Tuesday.

Tens of thousands of people are also entering Ukraine from Poland — mostly those returning to fight but also others seeking to care for elderly relatives or returning to bring their families out to Poland.

Before the crisis, around 1.5 million Ukrainians lived in Poland, the vast majority working in the EU nation.

The data of arrivals into Ukraine’s neighboring countries which are in Europe’s Schengen open-borders zone — Poland, Hungary and Slovakia — only represent border crossings into that country.

“We estimate that a large number of people have moved onwards to other countries,” UNHCR said.

A German aid activist wearing a dinosaur costum to amuse children talks with Polish soldiers at the Medyka border crossing, southeastern Poland on March 16, 2022. (Louisa GOULIAMAKI / AFP)

Romania

The UNHCR said 491,409 people had made their way into neighboring Romania, including people who had crossed over from Moldova to reach the EU member state.

The UNHCR figures per neighboring country are 271,283 higher than their overall total — a difference that the agency says reflects the number of people who crossed between Moldova and Romania.

The vast majority are thought to have made their way onto other countries further into Europe.

A refugee fleeing the war from neighboring Ukraine peers from a tent after crossing the border, at the Romanian-Ukrainian border, in Siret, Romania, March 14, 2022. (Andreea Alexandru/AP)

Moldova

The UNHCR said 350,886 Ukrainians had crossed into the non-EU state. It is the closest border to the major port city of Odessa.

Many Ukrainians fleeing the fighting transit through Moldova, a small nation of 2.6 million people and one of the poorest in Europe, en route westward to Romania and other countries beyond.

Hungary

A total of 282,611 Ukrainian refugees crossed into Hungary.

Hungary has five border posts with Ukraine and several frontier towns, including Zahony, where local authorities have turned public buildings into emergency centers for refugees.

Slovakia

Some 228,844 refugees made it across Ukraine’s shortest border into Slovakia.

People fleeing from Ukraine cross the border in Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia, March 4, 2022. (Darko Vojinovic/AP)

Russia

There are 168,858 refugees who have sought shelter in Russia.

In addition, UNHCR said 50,000 people had crossed into Russia from the pro-Russian Donetsk and Lugansk regions of eastern Ukraine between February 21 and 23.

Belarus

Some 2,127 refugees have made it to Belarus, the UNHCR said.

Israel

According to Israel’s border authorities, more than 11,000 Ukrainian citizens have arrived in the country since the start of the fighting. Of those, some 5,000 are eligible to immigrate under Israel’s Law of Return or have already done so, according to Immigration and Absorption Ministry figures.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

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