Refugee flow tests limits in Central Europe

PRAGUE/WARSAW－Officials in Central Europe voiced concern on Sunday that they were reaching capacity to comfortably house some of the nearly 3.5 million refugees who have fled Ukraine since the conflict began and are now camped in temporary accommodation.

Most of the Ukrainians arrived at border points in Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary, data compiled by the United Nations refugee agency shows, putting pressure on the European Union countries now attempting to shelter them.

So far, 10 million people have now fled their homes in Ukraine, wrote Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees on Twitter on Sunday.

Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said the government would seek to extend a state of emergency to deal with the influx, with officials trying to relocate new arrivals to cities outside the capital Prague to ease the pressure.

"The Czech Republic is balancing on the edge of capacities where we are able to provide comfortable living conditions," Rakusan said during a television debate. "Living in gyms, sleeping bags, or campsites is not good for life."

The Czech parliament also approved three laws recently making it easier for Ukrainian refugees to gain access to work and health insurance, and allowing schools to raise class capacities.

In Poland, which has the region's largest Ukrainian community of around 1.5 million, refugees waited in line for a third day in front of the National Stadium temporarily turned into an administration office to register new arrivals.

An International Organization for Migration spokesman said thousands of people have crossed daily at Poland's Medyka alone.

"We don't know how many people and we don't know when they will arrive," spokesman Jorge Galindo told Reuters.

With men of conscription age obliged to stay and help defend Ukraine, mostly women and children have entered the EU.

New arrivals described panic during their escapes that included shelling and shooting overhead by Russian forces as they fled their cities and began long journeys to safety.

"Rockets started to fly," said Natalia Strelcova, who entered Poland with her cat after fleeing the Dnipro region.

"It becomes scary, panic starts, and you want to run away somewhere."

UNICEF, the UN children's agency, said more than 1.5 million children are among those who have fled abroad, warning that the risks of human trafficking and exploitation are "real, and growing".

The International Organization for Migration also said millions have fled their homes, but remain within Ukraine's borders.

Some 6.48 million people were estimated to be internally displaced within Ukraine as of Wednesday, according to the UN and related agencies, following an IOM representative survey.

UNHCR initially estimated that up to 4 million people could leave Ukraine.

Another two chartered flights carrying Chinese citizens evacuated from Ukraine returned home safely on Monday.

Prior to Monday, 17 chartered flights taking Chinese nationals back from Ukraine have already touched down in China.

Agencies - Xinhua