Concerning the Humanitarian Crises in Ukraine

Abstract

The humanitarian crises in Ukraine recall other armed conflicts that resulted in needless death, destruction and the flight of refugees in pursuit of safety. In some ways, the international cable television network coverage of the conflict in Ukraine may have brought a greater sense of immediacy to the devastation being experienced by the people there. Foreign press coverage in the early weeks of the conflict utilized “on the ground” correspondents reporting in real time on the atrocities they were witnessing. Eventually, the intensity of the armed conflict, coupled with the death and serious injury of journalists, caused some media outlets to withdraw some of their personnel to safer locations. The War in Ukraine might be further categorized as two humanitarian crises: the plight of citizens remaining in the country including the forces attempting to defend against the Russian invasion and more than 3.7 million so far who have become refugees. The displacement of civilians from Ukraine is nowthe largest such exodus in Europe since World War II (Economist, March 19-25, 2022). However, the refugee flight is smaller than from the recent civil war in Syria.