U.S COMMITTEE FOR REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS
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Ukraine: An Update on the Mass Displacement Crisis

October 22, 2024

This is an update and supplement to USCRI’s March 2024 report on the Humanitarian Situation in Ukraine.

 

Mass Displacement

The mass displacement crisis continues in Ukraine. Around 6 million Ukrainian refugees are hosted by European countries, and about 400,000 Ukrainians are hosted by Canada and the United States. Poland previously hosted the largest number of Ukrainian refugees, but many refugees have migrated a second time to other European countries due to higher income opportunities and better social security. Germany now hosts the largest number of Ukrainian refugees.

The Ukrainian refugee situation has become more complex due to the prolonged conflict. Many refugees from Ukraine have kept in close contact with family and friends through short-term visits to Ukraine. IOM estimates the number of returnees, which include short-term visitors and permanent returnees, at around 4.6 million.

 

Civilian Deaths and Destruction

Over the spring and summer of 2024, the security situation has deteriorated in Ukraine, leading to high levels of civilian deaths and displacement. The UN verified that 11,743 civilians in Ukraine were killed and 24,614 injured between February 24, 2022, and August 31, 2024. September 2024 was the deadliest month for civilians since October 2022—at least 208 civilians were killed, including nine children, and 1,220 were injured. Attacks were during the daytime and targeted at populated civilian areas, which led to high civilian casualties.

Recent major attacks on civilians include:

  • On July 8, Russia launched missiles on five Ukrainian cities—Dnipro, Kramatorsk, Kryvyi Rih, Kyiv, Pokrovsk, and Sloviansk—killing at least 31 civilians. Russia targeted Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital, as well as a maternity clinic and apartments. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) surveyed the aftermath to try to collect evidence of war crimes committed by Russia for targeting civilians.
  • On August 27, a barrage of Russian drones and missiles on multiple cities killed at least five people. The next day, on a day of mourning those losses, a Russian missile struck civilian structures in Kryvyi Rih, where eight people were wounded.
  • Starting September 1, Russia struck Kharkiv city in a series of attacks, starting with a missile and following with aerial glide bombs, that resulted in seven civilian deaths and 136 injuries.

 

Survival Challenges Ahead

People in Ukraine brace for another winter without key energy infrastructure, due to targeted Russian attacks on energy generating facilities. Ukraine is heading into winter with more than 60% of its energy generation capacity lost. On August 26, Russia launched more than 200 missiles on Ukraine’s energy sector. As a direct result, eight million households lost power, and Kyiv experienced a blackout. Due to decreased energy generating capacity, Ukraine is forced to issue rolling blackouts this winter, which can severely impact older people, children in hospitals, and people with disabilities. Nearly one million children in Ukraine who attend school online are impacted.

The deteriorating security situation in Ukraine meant that 28% of all departures from Ukraine between January and September were people who left for the first time since the full-scale Russian invasion. When Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, was heavily attacked, there was a peak of people who left Ukraine for the first time at 35% of all departures. Safety, security, and energy-related concerns were the top drivers of outward movement.

 

Click here to read the full brief.

 

USCRI, founded in 1911, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit international organization committed to working on behalf of refugees and immigrants and their transition to a dignified life.

For inquiries, please contact: [email protected]

 


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