The number of Ukrainian refugees rose to 1,534,792 on Sunday, according to the latest update from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).
To get an idea of the intensity and speed of this emergency flow, in just eight days, one million Ukrainians left the country in flight from Russian attacks, while the war in Syria, which started in 2011, took two years to reach the same mark.
The scenario made UNHCR Commissioner Filippo Grandi consider that this is “the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War”, as he published on a social network this Sunday.
According to UNHCR’s spokesman in Brazil, Luiz Fernando Godinho, the agency predicts that the number of Ukrainian refugees will exceed 4 million, in addition to projecting another 12 million people who will remain in the country in need of humanitarian aid.
“It is a very populous country, with large cities spread across the country. Military action is entering several regions of the country simultaneously, people end up moving in large numbers”, Godinho pointed out to the CNN.
“And it is a country with a rail and road network, and this, in a way, makes it easier for people to leave, although we are already registering queues at the borders and abandonment of cars. There are ways to circulate different from poorer countries. I worked in the care of refugees from South Sudan and people would arrive after three, four day treks,” he added.
Neighboring Poland is the main destination and has already received more than 885,000 Ukrainians (57.7% of the flow). Refugees have also sought out Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova and Romania because of the shorter distance.
Priorities of care for refugees
At this moment, UNHCR considers that welcoming, sheltering and protecting refugees are priorities, with guaranteed documentation, food, hygiene items and articles for the intense cold in the region. A special concern is for children.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), at least half a million Ukrainian children have left the country to flee the war. “We are already registering unaccompanied children, without their relatives or guardians and we have to take a series of actions for reunification”, pointed out Luiz Fernando Godinho.
According to the UNHCR spokesperson in Brazil, the refugees have not arrived injured, but traumatized, and psychological support is also a necessity. Another attention is with the denunciation of racism at the borders, with reports of discrimination against Africans and Indians. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmyro Kuleba used a social network to demand equal opportunities for anyone trying to leave the country. UNHCR has also been calling for widespread and unrestricted aid to refugees.
If the war continues, new challenges will appear, such as education and access to the job market in countries that host refugees.
UNHCR has launched a $1.7 billion emergency appeal to provide urgent aid to Ukrainians. In addition to helping refugees, there is concern for those who remain in Ukraine, who need food, medicine, money and fuel (for transport and heating).
For Brazilians who want to help, donations can be made through the UNHCR website (acnur.org).
Source: CNN Brasil
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