MORE THAN TWO million people have fled Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion less than two weeks ago, the United Nations has said.

“Today the outflow of refugees from Ukraine reaches two million people,” UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi said in a tweet.

Since 24 February, 2,011,312 people have fled the war-ravaged country into neighbouring countries, said the UN refugee agency UNHCR.

Poland alone has received nearly half of all those fleeing Ukraine, with today’s figures showing that 1.2 million had crossed into the country in the past 13 days.

Hungary meanwhile has taken in nearly 191,350 people, Slovakia 140,745 and Russia itself has seen 99,300 people cross over from Ukraine, the data showed.

Moldova and Romania had each received over 82,000 refugees each, according to data gathered on Sunday, while over 210,000 people who have fled into neighbouring countries have already moved on to other European nations, UNHCR found.

On Sunday, Grandi said the war in Ukraine was fuelling Europe’s fastest growing refugee crisis since World War II.

“It doesn’t stop,” he told a press conference in Oslo earlier today following a visit to Moldova, Poland and Romania.

For comparison, Grandi said the Balkan wars in Bosnia and Kosovo saw “maybe two to three million people, but over a period of eight years”.

While other parts of the “world have seen this,” Grandi added, “in Europe it’s the first time since the Second World War,” he reiterated.

Ireland’s response

The Department of Justice on Friday confirmed that visa requirements are being waived for Ukrainians who travel to Ireland. 

In particular, the department said it aims to “streamline and support the swift exit” of Ukrainians with family members who are Irish citizens, and Ukrainians with family members are residents in Ireland and who are also from Ukraine.

Additionally, the European Union has decided to grant temporary protection to people fleeing from Ukraine that will enable them to live, work and study in EU countries with a residence permit.

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The government yesterday opened an online portal for people who want to register and offer accommodation to Ukrainian refugees who arrive into the country. 

Speaking this morning, Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman said that “Ireland’s response to the crisis in Ukraine is part of an EU response, and that EU response is a generous response, it’s an open response”.  

“It recognises the magnitude of humanitarian crisis we’re seeing on the borders with the European Union and it’s responding accordingly,” the Minister told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland. 

“So Ireland will set a policy in line with the EU policy, that is a policy that … provides easy access for Ukrainians to our country and the range of supports we’ve discussed. That’s the right approach,” he said.  

After several failed attempts, Russia promised to open humanitarian corridors today to allow civilians to flee the Ukrainian cities that have come under artillery fire.

Includes reporting by – © AFP 2022