More than 9-million have crossed border since start of Ukraine war

More than 9-million people have crossed the border from Ukraine since Russia invaded the country, according to  UN refugee agency UNHCR.

A total of 9,136,006 border crossings have been recorded since the Russian invasion began on February 24, the UNHCR’s tally showed on Wednesday. 

More than 5.6-million refugees are now recorded across Europe, with nearly 8.8-million people crossing out of Ukraine and nearly 3.3-million crossing back in since the invasion.

About two-thirds of refugees from Ukraine expect to stay in their host countries until hostilities subside and the security situation improves.

Most of the refugees from Ukraine, mainly women and children, hope to return home eventually, according to the survey of about  4,900 people from Ukraine now living in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The survey was conducted between mid-May and mid-June.

“They are anxious to reunite with friends and family and worry about those who stayed behind. Most want to wait until hostilities have subsided,” the report released on Wednesday said.

Of those seeking to return, 40% planned to do so in the next month, said UNHCR, adding that a higher proportion of refugees from the capital Kyiv and areas in the west were planning to return than those who arrived from the east and north.

Reuters