Ukraine: 2 million flee the country in 13 days

Geneva: The United Nations informed on Tuesday that more than two million people have left Ukraine after Russia initiated war inside the ex-Soviet couple of weeks ago and promoted full-scale invasion, opening a heavily armed conflict, Agence France-Presse reported.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi tweeted, "Today the outflow of refugees from Ukraine reaches two million people." The refugee agency UNHCR said that 20,11,312 people fled the war-torn country since February 24.

Nearly half of them have found shelter in Poland as 1.2 million had reached there in the last 13 days. Hungary sheltered about 191,350 people, Slovakia 140,745 and Russia 99,300, as per UNHCR data.

Meanwhile, the data said Moldova and Romania had each received 82,000 plus refugees. Further, those who left their home country moved into other European nations after crossing into neighbouring countries.

Grandi had said on Sunday that the Ukraine-Russia war is building the fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II. He said on Tuesday that the crisis is not going to stop. He was addressing the press after a visit to Moldova, Poland and Romania.

He said that the Balkan wars in Bosnia and Kosovo might have witnessed the fleeing of two to three million people, but it was over a period of eight years. Other parts of the world might have seen such a situation, but it was the first in Europe since WWII.

In the meantime, Russia promised the opening of humanitarian corridors on Tuesday after many failed attempts to do so. The corridors will be under ceasefire so that civilians can flee the country to safety outside its borders.