More than eight million internally displaced by war in Ukraine, says UN

Latest report finds nearly half are considering relocation due to scale of conflict and crisis

A Ukrainian refugee waits to be given shelter in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. AFP

Campaigner Rend Platings, right, embraces her Ukrainian best friend Kristina Korniiuk as they are reunited outside her home in Cambridge. Ms Platings went on hunger strike until MsKorniiuk's UK visa was approved and painted her house in the colours of the Ukrainian flag. PA

Ukrainian women attend a job-seekers' meeting aboard the 'Mediterranee' ferry, where they are living while it remains docked in Marseille, southern France. AFP

Refugee schoolchildren are given Ukrainian primary school education in Berlin, where they also have the choice of attending German schools. Getty

Teacher Katja with Artem, Sofia and Alexander, refugee schoolchildren who are receiving Ukrainian curriculum primary school education in Berlin, Germany. Getty

Ukrainian refugee Alikhan Yusupov, 10, on his first day at Caldecote Primary School after his family fled their home in Kharkiv and moved to Cambridgeshire, England. PA

Roman Starkov plays with nephew Alikhan as they settle into their new home in Caldecote, near Cambridge, after they fled Kharkiv. PA

Ukrainian refugee Egor Svichkar, 3, whose family now live with a British host. PA

Ukrainian refugees Yaroslav Kryvoshyia and Irina Kryvoviaz, with her son Sasha as they settle into their new home in North Moreton, Oxfordshire. PA

An Ukrainian refugee woman sews in Strasbourg, France, part of project for Ukrainian refugees to find jobs after fleeing the war. AFP

Ukranian refugee Karolina, 16, laughs as she prepares for a party at the La Ville-aux-Dames camp site, her family's temporary home in La Ville-aux-Dames, central France. AFP

Ukrainians queue outside a refugee centre in Paris. AFP

Myroslava Perevalska (R), an artist who fled Kyiv, helps a Ukrainian girl paint Easter eggs in Berlin. Getty Images

The 'Beacon of Ukraine', a gathering at Markthalle Neun in Berlin, bringing together refugees and NGOs as well as showcasing Ukrainian culture. Getty Images

Larysa Biachenko, 40, who does not know if her house in Chernihiv is still standing, and Svitlana Lykhonos, 43, who was the owner of a hotel restaurant in Frankiusk, peel onions at a special cooking course run by the regional government to offer them a job opportunity, in Alicante, Spain. Reuters

A convoy of Ukrainian refugees who left Mariupol, accompanied by 17 volunteers, arrive at Juan Carlos I park in Madrid. EPA

Ukrainian refugees, who arrived in Italy from Lviv after two weeks of travel, are tended to in the reception centre of the Red Cross in Settimo Torinese, near Turin. EPA

The number of people who have been internally displaced by the war Ukraine has exceeded the 8 million mark, an International Organisation for Migration report found.

The figure for the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) as of May 3, is up from the estimate of 7.7 million that the IOM gave as of April 17.

This is in addition to the more than 5.9 million Ukrainians who have left the country since Russia invaded on February 24.

The report showed that nearly half of IDPs – 44 per cent – were considering further relocation due to the scale of the humanitarian crisis in the country.

"The needs of those internally displaced and all affected by the war in Ukraine are growing by the hour," said IOM director general Antonio Vitorino.

"Access to populations in need of aid remains a challenge amid active hostilities but our teams are committed to continue delivering urgent assistance inside Ukraine and in neighbouring countries."

The IOM conducted its latest survey between April 29 and May 3, with 63 per cent of the IDPs estimated to be women.

Almost half fled their homes in the eastern region of Ukraine, where Russia is now concentrating its assault.

More than 3.9 million people are estimated to have fled their homes in the east; 1.65 million have fled the Kyiv region and 1.3 million have fled the north.

The survey found that 36 per cent of IDPs – 2.9 million people – are now in the relatively safer west of the country.

The IOM study suggested financial support was the overwhelming requirement of IDPs, with shelter another pressing need.

"Nine per cent of all people surveyed in the latest report, including those not internally displaced, indicated that their homes were damaged or destroyed," the IOM said.

"Among the internally displaced alone, this figure rose to 27 per cent. Every one out of 10 people surveyed said that they would need materials to fix damaged homes."

The assessment was conducted through interviews with 2,000 anonymous respondents aged over 18 who were contacted at random by telephone.

The survey is used by the IOM to gather insights into internal displacement and mobility and to assess humanitarian needs in Ukraine.