GENEVA -The U.N. migration agency said on Monday that nearly 6.5 million people had been displaced in Ukraine as a direct result of the war, exceeding its worst forecasts.
The figures come from a study conducted by the International Organization for Migration between March 9-16. They are in addition to the more than 3.3 million people https://www.iom.int the U.N. body says have fled across borders since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24.
"The scale of human suffering and forced displacement due to the war far exceeds any worst-case scenario planning," IOM Director General Antonio Vitorino said. IOM teams had been providing aid such as food and blankets to thousands of people but those in severely affected areas remained out of reach, he added.
Many of the displaced are particularly vulnerable, including pregnant women, the elderly and people with chronic diseases, IOM said. It reiterated a call for the cessation of hostilities and for the creation of humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to escape.