2M people fled Ukraine since war began: UN refugee head

By Iclal Turan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Top UN refugee official said on Tuesday 2 million refugees have fled Ukraine since the war began on Feb. 24.

"Today the outflow of refugees from Ukraine reaches two million people," Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, wrote on Twitter.

The number is rising steadily, up from 1.7 million as of Monday.

According to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) figures, as of March 7 at least 406 civilians have been killed and 801 others injured in Ukraine since Russia launched the war on its neighbor.

Among the 406 killed were 27 children, according to the UN.

The international body has said the real toll is much higher as conditions on ground make it “difficult to verify” the exact number of civilian casualties.

A temporary cease-fire between the forces of Moscow and Kyiv was declared on Tuesday to evacuate civilians from five major cities in Ukraine including the capital.