GENEVA
The UN refugee agency on Tuesday said more than 200,000 people have fled their homes in eastern Ukraine as attacks increased in the last six months alone.
“As human suffering continues, providing immediate life-saving assistance to those most affected as well as opportunities to recover is more needed than ever,” Philippe Leclerc, the UNHCR director of the regional bureau for Europe, told a UN briefing in Geneva.
Leclerc said the agency estimated that 10.6 million Ukrainians are displaced — almost a quarter of its pre-war population.
Inside Ukraine, he added, as many as 3.7 million have been uprooted and 6.9 million refugees continue to receive protection abroad.
More than 2 million homes across Ukraine, 10% of the housing stock, have been damaged or destroyed, he said, adding that repeated attacks on energy infrastructure continue to plunge people into cold and darkness, while further disrupting strained local services.
As the three-year-long war continues, the regional director said children are particularly vulnerable, with 1.5 million at risk of long-term mental health consequences.
Inside Ukraine, 12.7 million people — one-third of the current population — need humanitarian assistance, he added.
He also underlined that it is estimated that up to one-third of Ukraine’s territory has been exposed to contamination by landmines and ordnance.
“The impact of the war on the economy is extensive – agricultural and industrial hubs in the east have been devastated, and an estimated 30% of pre-war jobs lost,” he said. “Addressing these challenges – cited by refugees as impediments to return – must be a collective priority.”
International support for refugees and their hosts is “crucial to sustain hope,” Leclerc said.
