UN: since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 14 million people left their homes

In the run-up to February 24, the second anniversary of the large-scale invasion, the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that, in addition to refugees based abroad, some 3.7 million people were forced to leave their homes and live elsewhere in Ukraine.

To date, more than 4.5 million of people returned home from abroad or from other areas of their country.

In total, more than 14 million people – almost a third of the population of Ukraine – left their homes at some point during the war.

“Destruction is widespread and human death and suffering continue,” IOM Director General Amy Pope said in a statement.

“IOM commends the Government of Ukraine and the people of Ukraine for their strength and resilience, as well as Ukraine’s neighbors for welcoming people seeking safety.” We remain fully committed to alleviating human suffering and helping people recover,” she added.

The UN agency said that it has provided support to 6.5 million people in Ukraine itself and in 11 European countries that have accepted refugees. people.

“However, as the war progresses, demands continue to increase and exceed available resources,” the agency said.

During the first two years of the war, IOM received 957 million. dollars (882.6 million euros) of donations.

“We expect more support from donors and local partners to overcome the challenges ahead to ensure a better life for Ukrainians,” Pope said.

Russia’s invasion has sparked the continent’s worst refugee crisis since World War II.

Overall, the United Nations says it needs $4.2 billion this year. dollars (3.9 billion euros) for humanitarian aid in Ukraine and refugees, but there are fears that it will likely run short as the world’s attention is also focused on the war in the Gaza Strip.

Of those who fled and have now returned to their homes, “many have faced long-term difficulties, including insecurity, loss of livelihoods, damaged housing and infrastructure, and strained service delivery,” said Soda Federico, director of IOM’s Humanitarian Aid and Rehabilitation Department. .

“We need to focus on economic recovery,” he said in the agency’s report on the first two years of the war.