UN Agency: 10 Million Displaced Ukrainians Should Not Be Equated with Loss of Human Capital The forced displacement of 10 million Ukrainians — both within the country and abroad — should not be viewed as a permanent loss of human capital, as internally displaced persons (IDPs) continue contributing to the communities where they have found safe refuge. This was stated by Karolina Lindholm Billing, representative of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), during the national forum Human Capital Dimension at the URC 2025. “The displacement, internal or across borders, of Ukrainians seeking refuge from Russian attacks and war should not be equated with a permanent loss of human capital,” she emphasized. According to UNHCR data, nearly 10 million Ukrainians have been forcibly displaced: 5.6 million are registered as refugees abroad, while 3.8 million are internally displaced within Ukraine.