Fuel, cash and medical supplies are already running low in parts of Ukraine after Russia's invasion and the crisis could force 5 million people to flee abroad, United Nations aid agencies said Friday.
At least 100,000 people are uprooted in Ukraine after fleeing their homes since Russia launched its assault on Thursday, while several thousand have already crossed into neighboring countries including Moldova, Romania and Poland, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said.
"We are looking at ranges of 1 million to 3 million into Poland for example ... A scenario of 1 million to 5 million, including all surrounding countries," Mantoo told a U.N. briefing in Geneva.
Missiles pounded the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Friday as Russian forces pressed their advance. Air raid sirens wailed over the city of 3 million people, where some were sheltering in underground metro stations
"As we speak, there have been major attacks in Kyiv that have created great fear and panic among the population with families really scared, moving alongside their children into subways and shelters. This is clearly a terrifying moment for children across the country," Afshan Khan, UNICEF’s regional director for Europe and Central Asia, told the briefing.
"We are still trying to see which civilian infrastructure in Ukraine has been hit where," she said.
UNICEF was focusing on cash assistance to families, she said. The effect of Western sanctions, which have been imposed on Russia, will be analyzed in terms of the aid pipeline, she said.
U.N. human rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said that it had reports of at least 127 civilian casualties in Ukraine – 25 killed and 102 injured – "caused by shelling and airstrikes." This was likely a significant underestimate, she said.
Jarno Habicht, WHO representative in Ukraine, speaking via videocall from Kyiv, said that it had no reports from hospitals but was trying to monitor casualties and needs.
The priority is to provide treatment for the wounded as well as mental health and psychological support, he said.