The UN International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says more than 6.5 million people in Ukraine have been displaced in their own country, while the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, says nearly 3.5 million have already left Ukraine.

The UNHCR said the Ukrainians left following Russia’s attack, while almost a quarter of the 44 million population has been on the move either within or beyond Ukraine’s borders.

Among the refugees, since Russia’s invasion three and a half weeks ago, are at least 186,000 people from other countries, the agency added.

According to IOM figures, 13.5 per cent of those who fled had been displaced before in 2014 or 2015, when Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula and when fighting flared up in pro-Russian separatist regions in the east of the country.

The displaced are in particular need of medicines, medical care and cash.

Among them are pregnant and breastfeeding women, elderly civilians and people with disabilities and chronic illnesses.

At a meeting in Brussels, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the EU expected “millions more refugees to leave Ukraine; we have to assume that there will be eight to 10 million refugees in the coming weeks.”

Two weeks ago, EU Foreign Affairs Envoy Josep Borrell had predicted five million refugees. 

(dpa/NAN)