The Rising Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine

Civilians are dying in intensifying shelling of Ukrainian cities. An estimated 600,000 people have been displaced or have fled the country.

• Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, came under increased bombardment overnight as fears grow that the Russian invasion has entered a new and bloodier phase that will bring more civilian deaths.
• The strong resistance against invading Russian troops may be leading to a change in Russian military tactics that will result in increased shelling and missile attacks directed at civilian areas.
• People in capital Kyiv too are preparing for an extended shelling and urban warfare as a massive Russian convoy makes its way toward the city.
• The escalating fight is certain to drive more people to flee the country. Already, more than half a million people have fled the country into Poland and other neighboring countries.
• If fighting drags on, analysts believe Europe could well witness the biggest displacement of Europeans since World War II.
• EU nations are set to grant Ukrainian refugees three years of automatic protection. That marks a stark contrast to the way the EU has handled refugees arriving from the Middle East and Africa.