The war in Ukraine could lead to "more than 7 million" internally displaced people if the Russian offensive continues, explained the European commissioner in charge of crisis management, citing a UN estimate.
“We are witnessing what could become the biggest humanitarian crisis on our European continent for many, many years”, he warned, explaining that the European Union had to prepare for “a crisis” of “historic proportions ".
This statement comes on the fourth day of the Russian invasion, which has already forced many Ukrainians to flee.
About 368,000 people have already fled
While noting that it remained "extremely difficult, due to the intensity of the fighting, to establish correct estimates", the European commissioner in charge of crisis management mentioned a scenario of the United Nations foreseeing up to to "more than 7 million displaced persons" in Ukraine in the event of an escalation of the conflict.
Overall if the war continues, "about 18 million people will be affected on a humanitarian level" in Ukraine and in neighboring states, according to the commissioner.
There could also be up to 4 million refugees who have fled the country, he added, referring to forecasts by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
According to the UNHCR, around 368,000 refugees have already fled the fighting in Ukraine.
