More than 2 million refugees have fled Ukraine since invasion

New data from the U.N. Refugee Agency shows that more than 2 million Ukrainians have fled their country since Russian President Vladimir Putin first ordered the invasion of Russia’s southern neighbor on February 24.

Although a staggering 1 million Ukrainians fled the country in the week following the commencement of the Kremlin’s “special military operation,” the number of refugees has since grown exponentially as Russian forces continue to target civilian centers and infrastructure, NPR reported.  

According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the 2 million refugees – most of whom are women and children – represent approximately 4% of Ukraine’s total population. Furthermore, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees warned that upwards of 4 million more Ukrainians could leave the country – representing the largest mass exoduses in Europe since World War II.

UNICEF has also stated that it is working with nonprofits and neighboring governments to “ensure safe access to territory for refugees and third-country nationals fleeing from Ukraine, in line with international standards.”

So far, more than 1.4 million Ukrainians have found shelter in neighboring Poland and according to a Wall Street Journal report, by next week, the number of refugees will surpass the population of Warsaw – a city of nearly 1.8 million.  

Tens of thousands more have also chosen to relocate to other Eastern European countries including Russia, Slovakia, Jungary, Moldova and Romania – but Western European governments have also reported growing number of Ukrainian asylum seekers reaching their borders and voted last Friday to grant temporary protection for persons fleeing the war.

The Biden administration also granted temporary protection from deportation to tens of thousands of Ukrainians already in the United States.