The Russia-Ukraine war could spawn an 'overwhelming' refugee crisis of up to 4 million people, UN warns

• The UN warned that the Russia-Ukraine war could spawn an "overwhelming" refugee crisis.
• One official said the global community should expect up to 4 million refugees in the coming weeks.

The United Nations warned that up to 4 million refugees could flee Russia's war against Ukraine, sparking an "overwhelming" situation across the globe that could even dwarf the scale of the recent Syrian refugee crisis.

Since Russia launched its invasion last week, 677,000 people have fled Ukraine for neighboring countries, according to the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

So far, most refugees have fled to Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, Moldova, and Poland — which has taken in the majority of Ukrainian refugees.

But officials are sounding the alarm that the situation will likely get worse.

During a meeting with the UN Security Council on Monday, Grandi said the international community should expect up to 4 million refugees in the coming weeks.

According to a summary of the meeting, the UN said the crisis would create "an overwhelming burden for those countries receiving them."

"At this rate, the situation looks set to become Europe's largest refugee crisis this century, and UNHCR is mobilizing resources to respond as quickly and effectively as possible," UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said in a statement on Tuesday.

The UN estimates that by July 2022, up to 4 million refugees will continue to flood into neighboring countries — with 1.5 million expected in Poland alone.

Both Hungary and Romania are expected to host 250,000 refugees by then, while Moldova could see 100,000 and Slovakia, 60,000.

Other countries are projected to receive over 1.8 million refugees, though it was not clear in the projections which countries the UN is referring to.

Europe is no stranger to refugee crises.

Since the start of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, at least 6.5 million individuals have been forced to flee their homes — with 1 million coming to Europe — according to the European Council on Foreign Relations.

According to the UNHCR, 5.2 million refugees and migrants from Syria, Jordan, and Iraq had reached Europe by the end of 2016.

But that migration took place over a matter of years; the UN warned that Ukrainian refugee movements could unfold over a matter of weeks.

The UN projections found the agency will be able to provide support for only 2.4 million of the displaced individuals.

Aid chiefs are urging nations to get assistance ready as soon as possible.

Grandi said in a statement on Tuesday that UN agencies are appealing for $1.7 billion to help Ukrainians — those still in the country and those displaced throughout Europe.

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said on Tuesday that the UN has reported hundreds of civilian casualties so far, including 136 deaths.

"The conflict is already, in these early days, having a devastating humanitarian cost," he said, according to a document reviewed by Insider.