30,000 Ukrainians return home every day

FE Team | Published: April 16, 2022 21:17:30

KYIV, Apr 16 (AP/AFP): More than 870,000 people, who fled abroad since the Russian invasion on February 24, have now returned to Ukraine amid concerns about worsening food security inside the country, according to the United Nations (UN).
Citing the State Border Guard Service, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said 30,000 people are crossing back into Ukraine every day.
The recent returnees reportedly include women with children and older persons, compared to men mostly at the beginning of the escalation.
"This significant figure suggests that migration back to Ukraine might continue increasing, potentially creating new challenges for the humanitarian response as people will need support to reintegrate into their communities or find suitable host communities if returning to their homes is no longer viable," the OCHA said.
Of the 12 million people in need in Ukraine, humanitarians have reached 2.1 million of them, and the UN's $1.1 billion flash appeal for Ukraine is now 64 percent funded.
Fighting is now concentrated in the eastern and southern Ukraine, causing damage and civilian casualties and driving humanitarian needs.
In its latest emergency update, the OCHA reported that two humanitarian workers and five of their relatives had been killed in eastern Donetsk oblast.
They were sheltering at the Caritas Mariupol office when the building was reportedly hit by rounds fired from a tank, probably on March 15, although the information only became available recently, as the city had been cut off for weeks.
Russia warns US of 'consequences'
of Ukraine military aid
Russia has formally complained to the United States over its military aid to Ukraine, warning of "unpredictable consequences" if shipments of advanced weaponry go forward, US media reported.
In a diplomatic note this week, Moscow warned the United States and NATO against sending the "most sensitive" weapons for Kyiv to use in the conflict with Russia, saying such shipments were "adding fuel" to the situation and could come with "unpredictable consequences," the Washington Post reported.
The warning came the same week that US President Joe Biden pledged a new $800 million military aid package for Ukraine, including helicopters, howitzers and armored personnel carriers.
Russia bans entry
to British PM
Moscow on Saturday announced it was banning entry to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and several other top UK officials, after London imposed sanctions on Russia over its military operation in Ukraine.
"This step was taken as a response to London's unbridled information and political campaign aimed at isolating Russia internationally, creating conditions for restricting our country and strangling the domestic economy," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The ministry accused London of "unprecedented hostile actions", in particular referring to sanctions on Russia's senior officials.
Russian oil ban key step
to peace: Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that existing sanctions on Russia are "painful" but not yet enough to stop the Russian military.
Zelenskyy called for "the democratic world" to ban Russian oil. While U.S. lawmakers and U.S. President Joe Biden have enacted such a ban, Europe relies more heavily on Russian energy supplies, and the U.S. has been working to keep India from stepping up its use of Russian energy.