The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Edited News | UNHCR , WHO , WFP
Bi-weekly press briefing:Ukraine Update - Haiti Impact UNHCR WHO WFP 22 March 2022
Ukraine invasion sees refugee numbers pass 3.5 million, Haiti impact feared
Nearly a month since Russia invaded Ukraine, more than 3.5 million refugees have fled the country, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday, citing massive needs among the new arrivals.
“Now we’ve passed 3.5 million mark, in terms of refugees, the overall number is 3.557 million refugees, and this is really another tragic milestone for the people of Ukraine and it’s been achieved in just under one month,” said Matthew Saltmarsh, spokesperson for the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
Confirming UNHCR data, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) representative in Poland, Dr Paloma Cuchi said that Ukraine’s neighbour had welcomed “around two million people, this is about 61 per cent of the refugees are in Poland”. About two-thirds of them said that they wanted to stay in Poland “because it’s close to home and they are thinking of going back if the situation permits”.
Amid ongoing reports that Russian shelling has continued to target heavily built-up areas inside Ukraine, latest WHO information confirmed 62 attacks on health care inside Ukraine since Russian forces invaded on 24 February.
“As you can imagine access to health care in Ukraine is very restricted,” Dr Cuchi said. “And on top of that, refugees are coming from a long, difficult and dangerous journey, you know, until they arrive at the border of Poland. Children are travelling for days without proper food, without the proper water. They are tired, they are worried.”
Many refugees also have chronic health care needs which require urgent assistance, as they can no longer be treated inside Ukraine because of the deadly threat of violence, the WHO official explained. “There is a tremendous number of senior refugees that come, without, that have been without their medications for days, they come with decompensated diabetes, with blood pressure with other health problems, and of course, we have women, pregnant women who are without prenatal care.”
New arrivals from Ukraine receive assistance in reception centres. Common complaints include fever, diarrhoea, hypothermia, upper-respiratory tract infections, cardiac arrest, mental and emotional distress.
“Some refugees with long-term, chronic, and rare diseases need to be referred immediately to trusted hospitals in Poland, the EU, or elsewhere where beds are available and receive treatment,” the UN agency noted.
Early WHO estimates indicate that the war has left 500,000 refugees with a mental disorder and around 30,000 with severe mental disorders, based on the experience of other conflict settings.
Inside Ukraine, where some 6.5 million people have been displaced internally, UNHCR responded to concerns that civilians from the shattered city of Mariupol had been transported to Russia against their will.
“Of course we’re aware of these reports, but we’re not in a position unfortunately to confirm anything,” said spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh. “What we would say is that any transfer, movement of people, would have to be done voluntarily and in dignity. As I said in the last briefing, UNHCR has not been involved in the negotiations of safe passage for civilians.”
Reflecting the global commodity price crunch made worse by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, UN humanitarians in Haiti warned that it would likely continue to hurt vulnerable people in the highly import-dependent island nation.
In an alert on Tuesday, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that hunger levels there were “rising unabated (amid) persistent political instability, growing inflation and recurrent disasters”.
Needs remain high in the southern part of the country where communities are still reeling from a devastating earthquake that hit in August 2021. In the north, heavy flooding in January hit Haitians hard, prompting WFP to scale up its response with daily food deliveries.
“We estimate that over 40 per cent of the population is food insecure among which 1.5 million require an emergency response,” said Pierre Honnorat, WFP Country Director in Haiti, citing the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) forecast, valid from March to June 2022.
He explained that the wheat that Haiti imports “is mainly coming from Russia and then coming from Canada as well...so if the wheat flour is going up, you will see a problem and as I said, the price has already multiplied by five in two years. So, we can only expect that it will multiply again.”
Faced with extreme hunger, the WFP official warned that individuals are at heighted risk of sexual exploitation to secure enough food to eat. “It’s everything about those coping mechanisms that the population has to go for. And it’s different, they have to change their diet, they have to reduce their meals; but it also brings them to violence, it also leads some of them to prostitution.”
ends
STORY: Ukraine Update – Haiti Impact: UNHCR, WHO, WFP
TRT: 3 mins 19s
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 22 March 2022 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Wide shot, UN Geneva Press room.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Matthew Saltmarsh, spokesperson, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): “Now we’ve passed 3.5 million mark, in terms of refugees, the overall number is 3.557 million refugees, and this is really another tragic milestone for the people of Ukraine and it’s been achieved in just under one month.”
- Close-up, participant wearing headphones and filmed from behind, looking at laptop.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Dr Paloma Cuchi, WHO representative in Poland: “Poland has welcomed around two million people, this is about 61 per cent of the refugees are in Poland. And a quick discussion is with the refugees …about two-thirds of these refugees want to stay in Poland, because it’s close to home and they are thinking of going back if the situation permits.”
- Medium shot, journalists typing on laptops, profile, faces masked.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Dr Paloma Cuchi, WHO representative in Poland: “As you can imagine access to health care in Ukraine is very restricted. And on top of that, refugees are coming from a long, difficult and dangerous journey, you know, until they arrive at the border of Poland. Children are travelling for days without proper food, without the proper water. They are tired, they are worried.”
- Medium shot, participants checking phone and laptop, faces masked.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Dr Paloma Cuchi, WHO representative in Poland: “There is a tremendous number of senior refugees that come, without, that have been without their medications for days, they come with decompensated diabetes, with blood pressure with other health problems, and of course, we have women, pregnant women who are without prenatal care.”
- Close-up, showing hand holding pen, writing notes on notepad.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Matthew Saltmarsh, spokesperson, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): “Of course we’re aware of these reports, but we’re not in a position unfortunately to confirm anything. What we would say is that any transfer, movement of people, would have to be done voluntarily and in dignity. As I said in the last briefing, UNHCR has not been involved in the negotiations of safe passage for civilians.”
- Close-up, showing podium moderator blurred in foreground and on TV screen to rear, along with external speakers.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Pierre Honnorat (Zoom), WFP Country Director in Haiti: “We estimate that over 40 per cent of the population is food insecure among which 1.5 million require an emergency response.”
- Medium shot, participants seated in front of laptops, masked faces.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Pierre Honnorat (Zoom), WFP Country Director in Haiti: “But the wheat is mainly coming from Russia and then coming from Canada as well, so far. Just to say on the wheat, while we expect an impact, as I was saying, they are consuming bread at the moment, this is the first meal of the day…so if the wheat flour is going up, you will see a problem and as I said, the price has already multiplied by five in two years. So, we can only expect that it will multiply again.”
- Medium shot, participants writing on laptops, filmed from behind, TV camera on tripod to rear.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Pierre Honnorat (Zoom), WFP Country Director in Haiti: “On the sexual exploitation, what I wanted to refer, it’s everything about those coping mechanisms that the population has to go for. And it’s different, they have to change their diet, they have to reduce their meals; but it also brings them to violence, it also leads some of them to prostitution, this is what I wanted to refer (to).”
- Wide shot: Press room, participants masked.
- Close-up: participant with glasses and face mask.
- Medium shot: participant wearing ear buds and face mask.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | IOM , OHCHR , UNFPA , UNOG , UNHCR , WHO
Yemen’s humanitarian crisis growing by the hour amid spike in displacement
Yemenis displaced by renewed fighting have described fleeing for their lives amid shelling and gunfire, aid agencies reported on Friday, while highlighting the dramatic increase in humanitarian needs in the country and in Djibouti, where thousands have sought shelter.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office issued on Friday a report documenting a shocking pattern of sexual violence amid Russia’s full-scale armed attack on Ukraine.
2
1
2
Edited News , Press Conferences | WMO
As world’s water reserves change, countries must prepare for a new reality: WMO
New data showing that rivers were at their lowest level for decades last year provides further evidence that the climate crisis is real and countries must act immediately to protect themselves from the increasing threat to communities and livelihoods, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Thursday.
The key findings from WMO’s State of Global Water Resources 2025 report covering the hydrological cycle and extreme events in the five-year period to last year:
- 2025 was one of driest years for river discharge in 35 years
- Past seven years have seen abnorfmal river flows
- Water storage on Earth’s land surface has decreased in past decade
- Widespread glacier loss across all regions for fourth consecutive year
- Asia and Africa are regions most affected by water-related disasters
- Water data availability has improved, but gaps remain in hard-hit areas
Highlighting the long-term decline in the Earth’s freshwater storage and glacier melt, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo explained that the planet’s water reserves used to act as a planetary “savings account” that absorbed the occasional dry season, avoiding a water crisis. “One of the central stories of the 2025 report is what is happening to that savings account? And the simple answer is that we are depleting it,” she told journalists in Geneva.
Groundwater reserves are equally stretched and have been in decline since 2014, WMO’s report states, with nearly two-thirds of monitored wells worldwide showing levels lower than the historical norm and indicating a shift “further toward deficit…not recovery”.
“At the same time, we are seeing more water-related disasters,” Ms. Saulo said, while also stressing that the currently strengthening El Niño “will increase the risk of drought in some areas, and flooding in others”.
Glaciers disappearing
In 2025, for the fourth consecutive year, every major glaciated region on Earth lost ice mass, leading to short-term hazards including floods and long-term water insecurity, according to WMO.
Responding to a question about whether the changing global water cycle might have contributed to the deadly Nepal-China flooding disaster, Ms. Saulo explained that melting ice and rock was just one factor in the chain of events that ultimately sent a massive and deadly wall of water and debris downstream on 26 August, killing at least 1,367 people.
“You asked if it could happen again? Absolutely; the problem in this region is that there’s 63,700 glaciers at the last count,” she told a Press Conference in Geneva. “Even if you’re looking with remote sensing with satellites at these glaciers, you might see some faults, you might see some slight shifting, that does not mean necessarily catastrophic collapse. So, in order to plan for this, it’s very, very difficult. But the international community is looking very hard at ways in which we can bring people together to solve some of these monitoring issues.”
Data indicates that glaciers shrank between 2023 and 2025 with cumulative losses of 1,400 gigatonnes of water – or about one third of annual fresh water needs.
Every major glacier region on Earth lost ice for the fourth consecutive year.
“All 19 glacier regions around the globe lost ice; in Central Asia, Iceland, the Russian Arctic and western Canada and the United States, it was among the three worst years on record,” said Wayne Jenkinson, WMO’s Director of Hydrology and Cryosphere.
Some regions with smaller glaciers such as Central Europe, the Caucasus, the western Canada and the United States may already have reached “peak water”, Mr. Jenkinson warned.
“After this point, the glacier gives less meltwater each year simply because there is less ice left to melt. That matters for every community downstream that relies on water during hot, dry summers,” he explained.
Narelle van der Wel, WMO’s Head of Cryosphere Monitoring, Predictions and Services, stressed that while some further glacier loss is unavoidable, the eventual scale of the decline is not predetermined.
“Some glacier loss is inevitable, but total loss of glaciers is not yet inevitable,” she said, pointing to emissions reductions as central to limiting future losses.
Preparing for moving baselines
The report does not attribute every observed change to climate change alone. WMO says pressure on water resources and natural variability also contribute.
Mr. Jenkinson said governments need to prepare for “moving baselines” as historical patterns become less reliable.
“The situation 30 years ago is not where we are today,” he said. Countries, he added, need to prepare “for those changes that have really already arrived”.
ends
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , WHO
The deadly Ebola virus outbreak in DR Congo continues to spread across the vast country despite some success in containing it, aid officials said on Tuesday, in a renewed call for international support to help responders on the ground.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | WFP
‘Super El Niño’ and converging crises worsen hunger in South Sudan and across the region - WFP
South Sudan’s hunger crisis is becoming increasingly catastrophic as violence, extreme weather and dwindling aid leave millions without enough food, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UN WOMEN
In war-torn Gaza, a growing number of women-headed households face “impossible decisions” every day, amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes and still-scarce resources, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk made the following remarks to the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar at the 63rd Human Rights Council.
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk today delivered an update on the global human rights situation to the 63rdsession of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Repeated attacks on humanitarian warehouses put vital medical aid at risk in Ukraine - WHO
A new airstrike overnight damaged one of the main warehouses used by the UN health agency to store humanitarian medical supplies in the Kyiv region, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. This is the third attack to affect a WHO-used storage in the last three months.
2
2
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | WMO
Powerful El Niño heightens extreme-weather risks through 2027, as countries brace for impact - WMO
Fuelled by extraordinarily warm waters across the tropical Pacific Ocean, the El Niño climate pattern is expected to intensify in the coming months. Forecasters are almost certain that it will persist through February next year, with unusually warm conditions expected across the globe.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , IFRC , UN WOMEN , WHO
Nepal flood deaths near 1,000 as those spared struggle to survive – UN humanitarians
With the death toll in Nepal’s catastrophic flash floods inching towards 1,000, rescue workers are facing harsh conditions while survivors lack access to food, safe water and health care, humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNDRR , IFRC , WHO
Nepal: Flooding disaster “not over” as humanitarians work around the clock
While search and rescue efforts continued Friday following flash floods and mudslides in northern Nepal, UN humanitarians are taking stock of the devastation amid concerns over more flooding to come.