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Over 14 million Ukrainians forced to flee due to Russian invasion, UN agency says

by Elsa Court and The Kyiv Independent news desk February 22, 2024 8:29 PM 1 min read

Refugees from Ukraine stand on a platform at the Messebahnhof Laatzen station in Laatzen, Germany, after their arrival on April 15, 2023. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Michael Matthey/picture alliance via Getty Images)

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Over 14 million people, nearly a third of Ukraine's population, have been forced to flee their homes in the two years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Feb. 22.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, 4.5 million people have returned to Ukraine, the IOM said.

Another 3.7 million people are internally displaced within Ukraine, while nearly 6.5 million are refugees abroad, according to IOM data.

The IOM said it has provided support in 11 neighboring countries, "providing critical and life-saving aid to those most in need."

More than 14.6 million people, around 40% of Ukraine's population, "remain in need of some form of humanitarian assistance in 2024, while 2.2 million refugees require assistance in neighboring countries," the IOM said.

More than half of Ukrainian refugees surveyed said they plan to return to Ukraine in the future, a study by Vox Ukraine released on Jan. 16 said.

Authors: Elsa Court, The Kyiv Independent news desk

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