How Ukraine's refugee crisis is radically altering demographics of European countries
India Today
Russia-Ukraine war: In the largest exodus of Ukrainians, about 3.8 million people have been displaced since Russia's invasion began on February 24.
It is unusual to see an almost 6% rise in a country's population in the span of a month. It is also very unusual to see almost 9% of a war-ravaged country's people — primarily women and children — flee its borders.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine led to a kind of catastrophe that has rarely been seen in Europe in the last seven decades. A month of war led to the exodus of about 3.8 million people from Ukraine. The country's total population stands at 43 million.
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The scale and pace of the growing refugee crisis are the largest ever witnessed since World War II, as per the United Nations. This unprecedented displacement could turn into a human catastrophe as nearly a quarter of Ukraine's population (more than ten million people) were forced to leave their homes — some within the country and many going to other countries — to save themselves from Russia's onslaught. If the invasion continues, this number is likely to increase further in the coming days.
Russian military forces began their invasion on February 24, and they continue to bomb and unleash ammunition on buildings and civilians in Ukraine.
Most refugees fled to neighbouring countries in Eastern Europe, with Poland providing space to most of them, followed by Romania, Moldova, Hungary, and Slovakia. As per UNHCR estimates, nearly 2.3 million people have entered Poland, which has led to the neighbouring country's population swelling by almost six per cent in just a month.
Other countries have also allowed the entry of lakhs of civilians in the past month. Nearly 2.7 lakh people have also gone to Russia, as per the data available on the UN's website.
