The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, has assured the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday that the war in Ukraine has caused «the largest and fastest» displacement of people in decades.
Specifically, about 14 million people have been forced to leave their homes since February 24, when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. All this at the gates of a winter that could increase the number of Ukrainians who decide to leave the country.
«The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused the largest and fastest displacement seen in decades. Some 14 million people have been forced to flee their homes since February 24. And now Ukrainians are about to face one of the harshest winters in the world in extremely difficult circumstances,» Grandi said during his speech, UNHCR said in a statement.
Therefore, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, humanitarian organizations have «drastically» increased their response, although he considers that «much more must be done, starting with putting an end to this senseless war».
In addition, UNHCR has focused on helping displaced people in Ukraine, asking for assistance to more vulnerable countries such as Moldova, and applauding the «open» response of the European Union on refugees. However, Grandi reminded the members of the Security Council that «it is not only in Ukraine where the conflict has driven people from their homes», pointing out that in the last 12 months UNHCR has responded to 37 emergencies around the world.
«The other crises fail to capture the same international attention, outrage, resources and action,» he reiterated, detailing that UNHCR tries to be present where there is forced displacement, as in the case of Ethiopia, Burma, Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as in protracted crises such as those of Afghan and Syrian refugees.
«These crises, and many, many more (…) are not only disappearing from media attention, but are failing because of global inaction,» Grandi remarked, stressing that the climate emergency is becoming a new reason for displacement.
For this reason, UNHCR has called on the international community and members of the Security Council to overcome their divisions and disagreements and discuss humanitarian issues and, «hopefully, address the root causes that are displacing people around the world.»
