Number of Ukrainian refugees has reached two million, UN says

The majority of those fleeing the war are women and children

Ukrainian refugees arrive at a border crossing in Romania. Getty Images

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The number of people fleeing the war in Ukraine reached two million on Tuesday, the UN’s refugee agency said.

It came as the World Health Organisation warned Ukraine's health system is under “severe pressure” following Russia’s invasion, with shortages of life-saving essential supplies such as oxygen and insulin.

Filippo Grandi, the UN's refugee chief, announced refugee figures had hit two million following visits to Moldova, Poland and Romania — all of which have received refugees pouring across the border from Ukraine.

On Tuesday, he praised the “exemplary” welcome provided by these three countries, adding they seemed to be “coping” with the “natural spontaneous distribution".

It came as evacuations of people fleeing the conflict along safe corridors recommenced on Tuesday, after previous attempts had crumbled due to renewed attacks.

As the humanitarian paths opened, Shell became the first major western oil company to stop buying Russian crude, as oil prices continue to escalate globally.

Videos posted by Ukrainian officials showed buses with people moving along a snowy road from the eastern city of Sumy and yellow buses with a red cross on them heading towards the southern port of Mariupol.

“The Ukrainian city of Sumy was given a green corridor, the first stage of evacuation began,” the Ukrainian state communications agency said.

Dr Hans Kluge, head of the WHO’s Europe office, said a key priority was getting the health-related supplies needed into Ukraine and ensuring they are given safe passage to where they are most needed.

The UN has warned the Ukrainian conflict has created the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War.

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

He warned that the first wave of refugees consisted of those with “some resources” and dealing with future waves is set to become more complex.

“Many come by car, and especially they have connections. They can go where they have family, friends, communities,” the commissioner said.

“If the war continues, we will start seeing people that have no resources and no connections and that will be a more complex issue for European countries to manage going forward and there will need to be even more solidarity by everybody in Europe and beyond.”

The majority of those who have fled to neighbouring countries are women and children.

Shortly after Russia launched its attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy barred males aged between 18 and 60 from leaving the country, and urged them to take up arms to defend their land.

A Britain-based charity said there is a “crucial need” to protect women and girls who are suffering due to the war.

Conflict, crisis and displacement puts them at increased risk of sexual and physical violence and abuse, the Disasters Emergency Committee said.

The warning comes as the world marks International Women’s Day and an estimated 80,000 women are set to give birth in the next three months in Ukraine.

Care International is among 15 UK-based DEC charities that are working in Ukraine and neighbouring countries to redouble efforts to meet the growing humanitarian need from the situation.

“The conflict in Ukraine and resulting displacement is tearing families apart, leaving women and children who are trying to find safety exposed and vulnerable,” Suzy Madigan, Care International’s senior humanitarian adviser for gender and protection, said.

“Women fleeing disasters everywhere face the real risk of gender-based violence and abuse when they’re forced to leave home.

“If you become reliant on others for the basic needs of survival, exploitation becomes a real threat.”

On Monday, oil prices soared above $139 a barrel to hit their highest level since July 2008, as the US and European allies began to consider banning Russian oil imports over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Shell apologised on Tuesday for buying Russian crude last week after it had said it would pull out of its Russian operations, including the Sakhalin 2 LNG plant in which it holds a 27.5 per cent stake and which is operated by Gazprom.

“We are acutely aware that our decision last week to purchase a cargo of Russian crude oil ... was not the right one and we are sorry,” chief executive Ben van Beurden said.

British rival BP said last month it was abandoning its 19.75 per cent stake in Russian oil giant Rosneft.

Shell said it would change its crude oil supply chain to remove volumes from Russia “as fast as possible".

It will also shut its petrol stations and aviation fuels and lubricants operations in the country.

The company said the supply chain change could take weeks to complete and would lead to reduced output from some of its refineries while its withdrawal from Russian petroleum products, pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas will be phased.

The company also plans to end its involvement in the Nord Stream 2 Baltic gas pipeline linking Russia to Germany, which it helped finance as a part of a consortium.