More than 3.6 million people flee Ukraine: UN

More than 3.6 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia's invasion, the UN said Wednesday, warning that millions more would have their lives upended if the nearly month-long war continues.

UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said 3,626,546 Ukrainians had fled the country -- an increase of 69,301 from the previous day's figure.

In total, more than 10 million people -- over a quarter of the population in regions under government control before the February 24 invasion -- are now thought to have fled their homes, including an estimated 6.48 million who are internally displaced.

The refugee crisis is Europe's worst since World War II, according to UNHCR.

"Millions more will have their lives upended if the war persists," the UN's International Organization for Migration warned.

Women and children account for some 90 percent of those who have fled the country as Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 are eligible for military call-up and cannot leave.

More than 1.5 million of those who have fled abroad are children, according to UNICEF, the UN children's agency.

An additional 186,000 people from third countries had fled Ukraine, according to IOM.

Before the invasion, Ukraine had a population of 37 million in the regions under government control, excluding Russia-annexed Crimea and the pro-Russian separatist regions in the east.

Here is a breakdown of which neighbouring countries Ukrainian refugees have headed to, according to UNHCR:

- Poland -

Six out of 10 Ukrainian refugees -- 2,144,244 so far -- have crossed into Poland.

Nearly 200,000 have since taken free train services abroad, Poland's railway operator said Tuesday.

Many people who cross into Ukraine's immediate western neighbours continue on to other states in Europe's Schengen open-borders zone.

Meanwhile some 274,000 people have left Poland for Ukraine since the war began, according to border guards.

- Romania -

Some 555,021 Ukrainians have entered EU member Romania, including a large number who have crossed over from Moldova, wedged between Romania and Ukraine.

The vast majority are thought to have gone on to other countries.

- Moldova -

The Moldovan border is the nearest to the major port city of Odessa.

UNHCR said 371,104 Ukrainians had crossed into the non-EU state, one of the poorest in Europe.

"This is too much for Moldova; it is almost equivalent to 10 percent of the population. We need to help," said Richard Schilling, UNHCR's central Europe representative. 

To reduce congestion, organised convoys leave daily from the Palanca crossing for Romania, with the most vulnerable prioritised for transfer.

- Hungary -

Some 324,397 Ukrainian have entered Hungary.

- Russia -

Some 271,254 refugees have sought shelter in Russia.

In addition, 113,000 people had crossed into Russia from the separatist-held pro-Russian regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine between February 21 and 23.

- Slovakia -

Some 256,838 have crossed Ukraine's shortest border into Slovakia. 

- Belarus -

Some 4,938 refugees have made it north to Belarus.