UKRAINE The number of people forced to flee conflict, violence, human rights violations and persecutions has exceeded 100 million for the first time, as a result of the war in Ukraine and other deadly conflicts, shows a statement from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The figure is staggering, worrying and should have never been reached, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. By the end of 2021, the number of displaced people had reached 90 million worldwide, due to new waves of violence or protracted conflicts in countries such as Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Nigeria, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. On February 24, the Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, throwing further millions of people into the streets to flee fighting and reach less exposed regions or other countries. Europe has not seen such a rapid inflow of refugees since the end of World War II, UNHCR points out. Nearly 6.5 million Ukrainians have left the country, mostly women and children, and the UN estimates that their number could exceed 8 million by the end of the year.
