‘Tip of the iceberg'

As Ukrainians flee in droves, a humanitarian crisis is just beginning

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Since Russian rockets first began to slam into Ukraine, approaching 2 million people have fled over the borders of neighbouring European countries into a frightening and uncertain future. What we are witnessing, the United Nations has warned, is the largest refugee crisis in a century.

Last Sunday, the UN high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, said after visiting the Moldovan border that the situation would only get worse. Officials said many of the refugees who had arrived in other countries had friends and places to go to, but Grandi said the growing number of refugees would put pressure on governments to absorb them.

The world has watched families fighting to board trains in chaotic crowds, fathers kissing their children goodbye through car windows, and seen the shock and exhaustion on the faces of those who have made it to safety. Huge queues of cars belonging to those fleeing the invasion are jamming roads, and trains are overcrowded with not enough space for all those who want to evacuate.

Most Ukrainians leaving their country are heading west into Poland, Moldova, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary, which have opened their borders to anyone trying to flee, although reports of pushbacks and racial discrimination against people of colour have emerged.