UN says Ukraine refugee surge will soon hit one million

A refugee from Ukraine hugs her dog at a temporary shelter in Ubla, eastern Slovakia, on the border with Ukraine, on Wednesday, March 2, 2022 (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says more than 874,000 people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion last week and the figure is “rising exponentially”, putting it on track to cross the one million mark possibly within hours.

UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo said on Wednesday that people are continuing to stream into Ukraine’s neighbouring countries to the west, with more than 200,000 fleeing since Tuesday.