• The situation in Ukraine is deteriorating. Fillipo Grandi, the Director of UNHCR stated, in January 2023:  
    • “I was appalled by the level of destruction I saw as a result of Russian missiles and shelling,” Grandi said at the end of his visit. “Civilian infrastructure like power plants, water systems, kindergartens and apartment buildings have been damaged or destroyed. Civilians, including children and the elderly, have been killed or fled their homes, having their entire lives uprooted by these senseless attacks.” 

  • The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated in its February 2023 report23:  
    • “Since the Russian Federation's 24 February invasion of Ukraine, the number of people in need of humanitarian aid and protection increased from approximately 3 million people to nearly 18 million, and hostilities and fighting spread across the country. Throughout the year, millions of Ukrainians endured intense hostilities, which killed and injured thousands of civilians, forced millions from their homes, destroyed jobs and livelihoods, and left many struggling to access food, water, health care, education, a safe place to live, and other essential services. For people in the east of the country – in Donetska and Luhanska oblasts – this only further exhausted their coping capacities, already limited by the years of fighting in the region.” 

  • As of 10 February there are 8,054,405 refugees from Ukraine recorded across Europe. There are 73,002 refugees from Ukraine in Ireland (0.9% of the total number of refugees).
  • As a comparison the number of people receiving temporary protection in a sample of other countries is:  
    • Czech Republic: 485,775 
    • France: 118,994 
    • Germany: 881,399 
    • Finland: 49,290 
    • Lithuania: 73,606