UNHCR: One Million People Leave Ukraine To Refuge To Neighboring Countries

Conditions of cities in Ukraine that were attacked by the Russian military/PHOTO via Instagram ukraine.ua

JAKARTA - As many as one million people have fled Ukraine in the week after Russia invaded the country, the head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, said in a tweet.

"In just seven days, we have witnessed the exodus of one million refugees from Ukraine to neighboring countries", Grandi tweeted.

"For millions more inside Ukraine, it is time for weapons to stand still so that life-saving humanitarian assistance can be provided", he said.

Previously, houses of civilians in the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine, were constantly bombarded and affected by the missile attacks launched by Russia on the city.

"We are constantly being bombarded with little breaks. They are bombing civilian houses at random to create fear", Volodymyr Yuriyovych Yurchenko, 24, told ANTARA via the Telegram application.

Yurchenko is a student at the Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute who also lives in the city of Kharkiv, which on Tuesday was hit by a missile from Russia.

According to Yurchenko, Ukrainians in Kharkiv are encouraged to live in shelters.

In addition, the entire subway system in the city has also been repurposed as a shelter where people carry all the things they need, but many stations are at full capacity.

"I, my mother, my brother, and the guys from our apartment were sitting in the basement. It was cold out here but we still managed to survive ... we dragged logs from the street, chairs, and everything we could. to make this place comfortable. We already knew there would be war so we have enough food for now", he said.

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, stated that his party was ready to accommodate Ukrainian refugees.

"To continue in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, we will continue to receive those seeking refuge in third countries", Kishida said after the call.

He added that the initial focus was on people with relatives or friends in Japan.

"To support Ukraine strongly, we will strengthen coordination with the G7 (Group of Seven major industrialized countries) and the international community", he said.