- President Joe Biden's administration said the US would take up to 100,000 Ukrainian
refugees . Russia 's attack on Ukrainian cities and civilians has triggered a humanitarian crisis.
The White House on Thursday announced a plan to resettle some who are fleeing their homes amid the Russian invasion of
"Today, I announced that the United States will welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians and others fleeing Russia's aggression," President Joe Biden said on Twitter. "We're focused on reuniting families and providing refuge to those in harm's way."
The Biden administration also announced the US would provide more than $1 billion in humanitarian assistance for people affected by the war — funding medical supplies, food, water, and shelter. The White House also highlighted the concern of a rise in global food insecurity as an area where the funds could help.
In the statement, the administration also said it expected that many Ukrainian refugees would choose to remain in Europe so they could be "close to family and their homes in Ukraine."
The administration said those who fled to the US would be brought in "through the full range of legal pathways." That likely includes the country's refugee program, as well as a variety of temporary visas.
The influx will test the nation's fragile refugee-resettlement system, which was dramatically weakened under the Trump administration. Biden announced late last year that he would raise the annual refugee cap to 125,000 in 2022. So far, the US has taken in fewer than 6,500, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
The United Nations anticipated a devastating refugee crisis after Russian forces invaded Ukraine on February 24, but it has since said the situation exceeds the "worst-case scenario."
"The scale of human suffering and forced displacement due to the war far exceeds any worst-case scenario planning," António Vitorino, the director-general of the UN's International Organization for Migration, said in a statement on Monday.
Over 10 million Ukrainians have been forced from their homes since the war began, according to the latest UN figures. More than 6.5 million of them are displaced within Ukraine, while nearly 3.7 million have fled to neighboring countries.
Thursday marks one month since the war began, and Russia's offensive seems to have stalled, but its forces continue to bombard cities and civilian infrastructure.
The UN on Thursday said it had recorded 2,571 civilian casualties in Ukraine since February 24 — 977 people killed and 1,594 injured. It added that the actual death toll was likely "considerably higher."
And as the death toll mounts, so do accusations of war crimes from the international community.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said the US had determined that Russian forces committed war crimes in Ukraine — the strongest condemnation yet amid widespread reports and allegations that Putin's military had targeted civilians.
"We've seen numerous credible reports of indiscriminate attacks and attacks deliberately targeting civilians, as well as other atrocities," Blinken said in a statement.
He added: "We are committed to pursuing accountability using every tool available, including criminal prosecutions."