Every second, one new refugee

“The military offensive in Ukraine is creating a gigantic refugee crisis, the likes of which we have not seen in Europe since World War II,” says Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

“We warned before the military offensive that an escalation of the armed conflict would force millions of civilians to flee. Now we are seeing that the brutality of the war is displacing the civilian population to an extent that few had imagined,” says Egeland.

NRC has been assisting displaced people in Ukraine since 2014. We have helped over 700,000 people with food, shelter, water, sanitation and legal aid.

Sending an emergency relief team

“Our 70 colleagues in Ukraine are themselves in the line of fire, but will try to start emergency relief work in the country as soon as possible. We already have relief teams in place in Poland, Romania and Moldova, and more are on the way,” says Egeland.

In the last eight days, more than one million Ukrainian refugees have arrived in neighbouring countries, including Poland, Romania and Moldova.

“That’s one refugee every second,” Egeland points out.

If the war continues unabated, between four and seven million Ukrainians are likely to flee their country. The population of Ukraine is just over 44 million, and over 12 million will be in great need of help.

A woman and two children crossing the border from Shehyni in Ukraine to Medyka in Poland. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa/NTB

Fears of record high refugee numbers

“We have not seen anything like this on our continent since NRC was established just after World War II. The refugee crisis in 2015 led to about one million refugees coming to Europe over the course of an entire year. Now we have passed the same number in just one week,” says Egeland.

Specially trained aid workers

Egeland says that NRC has specially trained aid workers who can deploy at short notice to provide life-saving help in war and crisis areas.

“They are specially trained and have extensive experience of helping women, children, the elderly and others in a crisis situation,” he explains.

“They also know what kind of aid is needed and how to get it. In the first instance, it is best to provide emergency aid items and cash, so that the refugees can obtain food, water and other necessities locally. There will also be a great need for shelter and protection for children and other groups.”

“Everyone can contribute”

Egeland says that people in Norway have shown a great willingness to give.

“We are experiencing an enormous willingness to give from both companies and individuals. Everyone can contribute. We are there to translate their contribution into action,” he says.