The war in Ukraine has forced 5.6 million Ukrainians to flee to other countries and displaced 3.7 million more people internally, a new report says. 

And nightly drone attacks and fluid battlegrounds have condemned millions of other Ukrainians to poverty and precarious lives in in makeshift shelters, according to the report by US-based refugee and humanitarian agency HIAS. 

Because most Ukrainian men are required to stay in the country for military purposes, most refugees outside of Ukraine are women and children who face challenges integrating into their temporary new communities.  

Many refugees have settled throughout Europe, which at first welcomed Ukrainians, but has increasingly reduced back on aid and legal rights.  

Displacement, along with food, health care, and other protection gaps, have left more than 12.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, the report says. 

Fifteen per cent of the population of Ukraine is food insecure and needs assistance affording basic goods, it says. 

“While more than three million Ukrainians remain displaced within the country, another 4.5 million people have also returned from abroad. Many houses remain damaged, with over 13 per cent of Ukraine’s housing supply destroyed. Millions of people require shelter as they try to rebuild their lives,” the report says.  

Meanwhile, the energy crisis caused by constant drone attacks is disrupting services across the country. 

“One in five households in Ukraine also lack access to clean water and more than two million children need help recovering from the war, after years of lost schooling and psychological and physical stress,” the report says. 

“The war has also killed or injured more than 42,000 civilians, including 2,500 children. More than nine million Ukrainians need healthcare, with many recovering from injuries caused by the war. 

“Millions of people remain traumatized by the constant danger and displacement and require mental health care,” the report says. 

Unlike most refugees fleeing to the European Union, Ukrainians fleeing the war were immediately granted temporary legal status, which allowed them to work and access social support. 

But this does not guarantee Ukrainians permanent residency and must be renewed every two years.  

Most Ukrainians fled to neighbouring countries, with Germany, Poland, Czechia, Spain, and Italy hosting the largest amounts. 

Canada, the UK, the US and Australia also host significant numbers of Ukrainian refugees. Three quarters of them are women and children. 

Many Ukrainians have successfully integrated into their host communities – including in Australia – finding jobs, renting their own accommodation, and enrolling their children into schools, the report says. 

“However, many people are working different jobs than their careers back home, which can undercut their earning potential and stop them from contributing further to the economies of their host countries,” it says. 

Before the war, Ukraine was long standing transit and destination country for people fleeing persecution and violence in other parts of the world. 

Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 saw Ukraine’s asylum seekers and refugees among the millions displaced or facing wartime threats inside the country. 

About 25 per cent of refugees and asylum seekers fled the war, while most stayed in Ukraine. 

Many who stayed behind are unable to access the asylum system, lack documents, and are unable to access social services or travel freely, even when fleeing frontlines. 

“Meanwhile, asylum seekers and refugees who have fled the country face significant difficulties returning, preventing family reunification,” the report says. 

“While Europe has provided unprecedented support and rights to Ukrainian nationals, previously displaced asylum seekers and refugees have faced significant barriers to protection. They often lack legal status and access to housing, healthcare, and other social services,” it says. 

Read the full report: Refugees and Internally Displced People in Ukraine