Russia-Ukraine war: Ukraine MFA, ambassadors meet to discuss safety of Ukrainians fleeing

Amid war with Russia, many Ukrainian citizens are fleeing the country in order to save their lives. Taking note of that, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs along with the head of the President's office Andriy Yermak had a meeting with ambassadors of Ukraine to foreign countries to discuss the situation of fleeing Ukrainians. They talked about the rights of Ukrainian nationals who have been forced to flee their country.

Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, shared a tweet earlier today stating, "The meeting was chaired by the Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak with the participation of the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ambassadors of Ukraine to foreign countries. The event was dedicated to the protection of the rights of Ukrainian citizens who have temporarily left their homeland due to Russian aggression."

'Fastest increasing refugee crisis in Europe'

The most recent UN refugee estimates say that over 2.5 million Ukrainians have left the country since Russia's invasion on February 24. UNHCR Commissioner Filippo Grandi stated that this is "the fastest increasing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II," and is reminiscent of the 2015 migrant crisis sparked by the Syrian war. Women and children make up the majority of individuals fleeing Ukraine. Males aged 18 to 60 were banned from leaving Ukraine after the country's national government declared martial law.

Poland, which shares a border with Ukraine's northwest, has become a point for the Ukrainians seeking asylum in other countries. The latest data of UNHCR suggests that Poland has welcomed by far the most number of refugees, with more than 1.6 million Ukrainians entering into its territory. Over 245,000 Ukrainians have entered Hungary since the invasion, with over 195,000 fleeing to Slovakia. Moldova welcomed roughly 278,000 Ukrainians after the war broke out, with more than 173,000 of them moving to neighbouring Romania.

Poland's government has stated that it will require more funding than the EU presently provides to accommodate the influx of refugees. Hungary, on the other hand, is providing monetary allowances for food and clothing, according to BBC. With about 4,000 refugees per 100,000 residents, Moldova has by far the highest concentration of refugees per capita.

(Image: AP)