Geneva - (AFP) - The United Nations predicted that the number of Ukrainian refugees fleeing their country, which was invaded by the Russian army on February 24, would reach 8.3 million.
According to the international organization, more than 5.2 million Ukrainians have so far fled their country.
Given the deterioration of the situation, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which at the beginning of the conflict expected four million Ukrainians to leave the country, requested $1.85 billion to support its activities and the actions of its partners to help people fleeing the war in Ukraine.
UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo said during a press conference in Geneva that the review of the expected number of refugees "was developed in cooperation with the authorities and neighboring countries, but it is important to remember that the situation is witnessing rapid developments."
The United Nations also announced that it had doubled an urgent appeal for funds to provide humanitarian aid to 8.7 million people in Ukraine, bringing the total to $2.25 billion.
"More than $2.25 billion has become necessary to meet Ukraine's needs, more than double the amount required ($1.1 billion) when we launched the appeal on March 1, days after the start of the war," the office of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.
This appeal, which was originally launched for a period of three months, was extended for an additional three months, until August.
The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance inside Ukraine also increased from 12 million to 15.7 million. The new appeal aims to help 8.7 million people among those most affected by the conflict in the country. More than half of these people are women.
The United Nations has so far received $980 million from donors, representing 44% of the funds requested under the new appeal.
"This money has allowed the United Nations and its partners to provide humanitarian assistance to 3.4 million people in Ukraine," said Jens Lark, spokesman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, during a press conference in Geneva.