The United Nations’ refugee agency says more than 5 million people have left Ukraine since Russian troops invaded the country almost eight weeks ago.
The Geneva-based U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said Wednesday that data from official border crossing points put the total number of war refugees at 5.03 million. About half are believed to be children.
The exodus started with wrenching goodbyes soon after Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion. With most men prohibited from leaving so they would be available to fight, fathers put their young families on trains, and sons packed up the cars of older relatives, none knowing when they would see each other next.
European Union countries welcomed the arrivals from Ukraine with sympathy, soup, baby strollers and blankets. More than half of the total number of refugees, over 2.8 million, arrived first in Poland.
Although many have stayed there, an unknown number have traveled on to other European countries. After reaching 4 million on March 30, the tide of people leaving Ukraine has slowed somewhat in recent weeks. Russia’s offensive in eastern Ukraine this week may cause more to flee.
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