Since President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine, over 3.1 million people have fled the country according to the United Nations’ refugee agency (UNHCR) as of March 17.
There are also reports of mounting civilian deaths, including an 18-month-old baby who was killed after his home in the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol was shelled by Russian forces. Most recently, an air strike on a hospital in Mariupol destroyed a maternity ward and a children’s ward, according to Ukrainian officials.
The conflict won’t just be horrific in the short-term, it will have devastating consequences beyond the immediate violence. Even if the shelling stopped right now, it would take years to recover from the devastation. That’s because war shatters societies, destroys infrastructures, and forces people into poverty by obliterating the economy. As the UN has noted previously, and as we’ve underlined, peace is the only option.
We’re not alone in this rallying call. People have come out in their hundreds of thousands in cities across Europe, North and South America, Africa, Asia, and indeed all parts of the world to demand an end to the violence. Here’s how our generation turned up.
In Nigeria
In Nigeria, students marched in the streets, standing in solidarity with their fellow activists in Ukraine.
On a Sleeper Train Evacuating Kyiv
Young climate activist, Ilyess El Kortbi, takes a selfie in a sleeper train evacuating Kyiv during the night of 23-24 Feb.
In Turkey
Today we stood in solidarity with @fff_ukraine and the people of Ukraine in front of the Russian Consulate. We raised our voices to demand #NoMoreWars. #StandWithUkraine️pic.twitter.com/K0NeKW39yh
— Youth For Climate Turkey (@youth4climatetr) March 5, 2022
In Taiwan
Protesters gather in Taiwan to protest against Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Protester Kris Hammer from Taiwan told Global Citizen: “I feel like standing up against evil and making my voice heard is the least I can do… Putin seems to live in some Soviet WW2 fantasy. This man’s dream has already cost death to many thousands and terror to millions of people and it continues every day. He simply must be stopped.”
In the UK
A very young protester holds a placard up during a protest in Trafalgar Square in London, UK.
Hundreds of people — many of them with loved ones in Ukraine — gathered in London's Trafalgar Square to protest against the war.
In Lithuania
People take part in a protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine in front of the Russian embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, Feb. 27, 2022.
Thousands of people gathered in Lithuania’s capital city, Vilnius, at the Russian embassy to protest the invasion. Pictured here, people take part in a protest against the invasion of Ukraine in front of the Russian embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Feb. 27, 2022.
United States
Students rally in support of Ukraine on the Harvard University campus, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, in Cambridge, Mass.
Dozens of Cambridge-area college students came together at a rally in support of Ukraine. The Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology students were raising their voices to welcome refugees, protest the war, and request more US intervention from their legislators.
In South Korea
Protesters stage a rally against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, near the Russian Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Feb. 28, 2022.
Carrying Ukrainian flags and signs reading "Stop Putin" and "Stop the War" in front of the Russian Embassy, people in South Korea chanted slogans like "Do not kill our people." They also wore yellow and blue ribbons, representing the national colors of Ukraine.
In Greece
Ukrainians who live in Greece take part in a rally against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Athens, Greece, March 1, 2022.
Ukrainians who live in Greece are pictured taking part in a rally against Putin's invasion of Ukraine, in Athens, Greece, on March 1, 2022.
In Venezuela
Students gather outside a Russian military base in Venezuela in Valencia calling on Russia forces to retreat.
Students gather outside a Russian military base in Venezuela in Valencia calling on Russia forces to retreat.
In Russia*
As the war in Ukraine has intensified, so has the defiance in Russia where police are cracking down by arresting thousands of people protesting the invasion. More than 5,000 people were arrested in a single day across 69 cities in Russia, according to the OVD-Info monitoring group.
But the backlash hasn't dampened their resistance and their extraordinary bravery in standing up against the invasion. There are even reports that Russian citizens are texting in emoji code to ellude the authorities.
*Images have not been included for the safety of those protesting.
Find out more about ways you can support the growing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine here and take action through our global Ukraine Call to Action site here.