In Ukraine, "we are witnessing what could become the biggest humanitarian crisis on our continent for many, many years (...) We must prepare for a crisis of historic proportions", warned, Sunday February 27, Janez Lenarcic following a meeting in Brussels of European interior ministers.
While noting that it remained "extremely difficult, due to the intensity of the fighting, to establish correct estimates", Janez Lenarcic referred to a United Nations scenario foreseeing up to "more than 7 million displaced persons" in Ukraine in the event of an escalation of the conflict.
If the war continues, "about 18 million people will be affected on a humanitarian level", in Ukraine and in neighboring states, and there could be up to 4 million refugees who have fled the country, added the Commissioner, referring to the forecasts of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Since the Russian invasion launched on Thursday, some 368,000 refugees have fled the fighting in Ukraine.
More than half have entered Poland and their number "continues to increase", according to the United Nations and the Polish authorities.
According to the UNHCR, more than 160,000 people are currently internally displaced and more than 116,000 have been forced to flee to neighboring European countries.
Ukrainians are 'welcome' to the EU
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, assured Thursday that the European Union was "fully prepared" to welcome Ukrainians who would flee their country in the face of a Russian offensive, adding that they were "welcome".
France is putting in place measures to welcome Ukrainian refugees, assured, moreover, Anne-Claire Legendre, spokesperson for the Quai d'Orsay, on the set of FRANCE 24 on Saturday.
“Civilians are the first victims of this conflict”
06:30
With AFP
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