The United Nations and its allies on Tuesday launched an emergency appeal to raise $1.7 billion to provide essential humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

“We are looking at what could be the biggest refugee crisis in Europe of this century,” said Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Of this total amount, $1.1 billion should be possible to help 6 million people in the country for an initial period of three months, a press release from the organization specifies.

According to the United Nations, 12 million people in Ukraine as well as more than 4 million refugees will need help who may flee the fighting.

According to the UNHCR, in less than a week since the start of the military crisis, more than 660,000 people have left Ukraine and taken refuge in neighboring countries.

To help these countries cope with the shock, the United Nations needs $550.6 million to meet the basic needs of people seeking asylum in Poland – a country that hosts more than half of registered refugees. – but also Moldova, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. This amount makes it possible to provide housing, distribute money and provide psychological support to those who had to leave everything behind and run away.