Sharjah24 – AFP: The number of refugees fleeing Ukraine increased by more than 140,000 in 24 hours, according to United Nations figures issued Wednesday, with more than 2.15 million now having fled since Russia invaded on February 24.
UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency, recorded 2,155,271 refugees on its dedicated website -- 143,959 more than the previous count on Tuesday.
"Behind the monolithic statistics are two million stories of separation, anguish, and loss," UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi said.
Families have been "senselessly ripped apart", plunged into "despair and unimaginable suffering" by the "brutal war", he said.
Authorities and the UN expect the flow to intensify as the Russian army advances deeper into Ukraine, particularly as it approaches the capital, Kyiv.
Before Russia invaded, more than 37 million people lived in Ukrainian territory under the control of the central government.
Besides those who have left, an unknown number have been displaced from their homes within the country.
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