The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has said that confrontation in eastern Ukraine forces an increasing number of people to leave their homes and move to other regions.
“The number of people displaced inside Ukraine had more than doubled in the past four weeks. UNHCR estimates that 260,000 people were displaced as of Sept. 1, 2014, compared to 117,000 in the first week of August,” UNHCR said in a press release on Sept. 2, which was obtained by Interfax-Ukraine.
According to the report, most of the displaced – 94 percent – are from eastern Ukraine and are remaining in Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kyiv regions.
“UNHCR believes the actual number of people displaced is higher as many are staying with families and friends and choose not to register with the authorities,” reads the statement.
According to the report, the number of those using three corridors set-up by the Ukrainian authorities to flee conflict areas is decreasing, mainly due to recent incidents when civilians have lost their lives in attacks.
“Reportedly 6,000 people have left through these corridors since the end of July,” reads the report.
UNHCR also noted that the number of Ukrainians seeking refugee status or asylum in Russia increased by almost 66,000 during August.
“According to the [Russian] Federal Migration Service, more than 121,000 Ukrainians have applied for refugee status or temporary asylum since January 1,” reads the press release.
