The United Nations` refugee agency says over 100,000 people have been internally displaced in Ukraine and another 170,000 people have fled to Russia.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned on Tuesday of a massive exodus over the crisis in eastern Ukraine, saying the number of people internally displaced has risen from 2,600 to about 103,000 over the past two months.
The international body added that about 1,200 people are fleeing violence in the country every day.
An additional 168,000 people have also sought refuge in Russia, Russia’s Migration Service said.
This is while the Ukrainian government called on people in the country’s east to leave the flashpoint area as government troops close in on pro-Russia forces in the region.
Pro-Russia forces, however, have pledged to continue fighting against Kiev in the cities they hold.
Ukraine’s mainly Russian-speaking regions have witnessed deadly clashes between pro-Russia protesters and the Ukrainian army since the government in Kiev launched military operations in mid-April in a bid to crush the pro-Russia protests. Latest reports put the death toll at 1,500, both civilians and combatants.
The fighting has intensified in east Ukraine since July 17, when a Malaysian airliner, carrying 298 people, was downed in the Donetsk region. Western powers accuse pro-Russia forces of downing the civilian airliner. The pro-Russians deny any involvement and blame the Ukrainian army for the incident.
