Developmentaid logo
Register

Ukraine refugee numbers hit 5 million: 'The worst may be yet to come'

World Vision Apr 22, 2022
Ukraine refugee numbers hit 5 million: 'The worst may be yet to come'

Add us as your preferred source on Google to see more of our content in Search.

Google logoAdd to Preferred Sources

As the number of Ukrainian refugees hits a staggering five million people, World Vision is warning that the international community will need to be prepared to make focused commitments to protect children amidst this spiraling crisis and prevent a humanitarian disaster.

With five million Ukrainian refugees and more than seven million internally displaced people in just over seven weeks of fighting, this crisis continues to be the most rapid exodus of people since World War II. Despite recent reports of nearly 900,000 Ukrainians returning to Ukraine, World Vision remains highly concerned that this is a temporary period of relative calm with a looming threat of increased risk to people on the move as this conflict continues to escalate.

“That 5 million figure doesn’t include the estimated 7.1 million people who’ve sought refuge within Ukraine,” says Isabel Gomes, World Vision’s Global Director for Humanitarian Operations. “Among all these numbers though, the most upsetting is the reality that more than two-thirds of Ukraine’s 7.5 million children have had to flee their homes. That’s an entire generation of children who are either refugee in a foreign land or effectively trapped within their own country. These children have been ripped from their friends, communities, schools, and the normality that are a source of such comfort and security for children.”

“The speed and scale of this crisis continue to be beyond comprehension. But unfortunately, the worst may be yet to come,” says Gomes. “Earlier estimates predicted the number of refugees would hit 4 million by July. Here we are in mid-April, and 5 million people have taken the extraordinary, life-changing decision to leave their homeland.”

World Vision is deeply concerned about a new level of destructive intensity, wanton violence, and alleged crimes against humanity which force even more people from their homes. The agency is calling for all civilians, particularly children to be protected from indiscriminate attacks.

Gomes says the need World Vision is witnessing in neighboring countries has already exceeded the worst-case scenarios, that the needs inside Ukraine have become even more immense, with millions of people in desperate need of protection and life-saving essentials like food and shelter.

World Vision has been responding to the crisis since its first week through its long-term office in Romania and is currently rapidly scaling up its response in Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova. It has since been helping displaced families in Ukraine and refugees as they transit Romania and Moldova.