INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
in regions under government control -- are now thought to have fled their homes, including the millions of internally displaced
people.UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said 3,489,644 Ukrainians had fled the country since Russia invaded on February 24 -- a figure up
despair, we have also witnessed overwhelming acts of welcome and compassion as neighbouring countries, particularly local responders, have
countries had fled Ukraine to neighbouring states.As of Wednesday, some 6.48 million people were estimated to be internally displaced within
Russia-annexed Crimea and the pro-Russian separatist regions in the east.Here is a breakdown of neighbouring countries that have welcomed
Ukrainian refugees, according to UNHCR:Poland#13;
Six in every 10 Ukrainian refugees -- 2,083,854 so far -- have crossed the Polish border,
UNHCR said.Before the crisis, around 1.5 million Ukrainians lived in EU member Poland, the vast majority of them working.Some 264,000 people
have crossed the frontier in the opposite direction, Polish border guards said.They are mostly those returning to fight but also others
seeking to care for elderly relatives or to bring their families out to Poland.Romania#13;
UNHCR said 535,461 Ukrainians had made their way
into EU member Romania, including a large number who have crossed over from Moldova, wedged between Romania and Ukraine.The vast majority
are thought to have made their way onto other countries further into Europe.Moldova#13;
The Moldovan border is the nearest to the major port
city of Odessa.UNHCR said 365,197 Ukrainians had crossed into the non-EU state, one of the poorest in Europe
Most transit through the small nation, en route westwards to Romania and beyond.Hungary#13;
The number of Ukrainian refugees who have
border into Slovakia, the UNHCR said, at 250,036 Ukrainian refugees.Russia#13;
Some 231,764 refugees have sought shelter in Russia since the
invasion began.In addition, UNHCR said 50,000 people had crossed into Russia from the separatist-held pro-Russian Donetsk and Lugansk
regions of eastern Ukraine between February 21 and 23.Belarus#13;
And 3,765 refugees have made it north to Belarus, UNHCR says.Source:
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://adaderana.lk
