Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday that Japan is ready to receive Ukrainians fleeing the Russian attack.

Kishida said he pledged this in a phone call with his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki.

He added that he also told German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in another phone call that Japan will work closely with Germany to support Ukraine.

The number of refugees fleeing Ukraine to neighboring countries has again risen to 836,000 as of March 1, according to a count prepared by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees issued on Wednesday.

Thus, the number increased by 160,000 refugees after it was 677,000 on Tuesday, according to what was announced by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi during an urgent appeal to fund humanitarian aid for the country and for those who fled the battles.

The commission said that 835,928 people fled Ukraine, of whom 453,982 found shelter in Poland.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent influx of refugees, Poland has been the main host country for asylum seekers.

According to available statistics so far, Hungary ranks second by hosting 116,348 refugees, or 14% of the total number.

Slovakia, for its part, hosts 67,000 refugees, or 8% of the refugees, until March 1, and Russia hosts 5.1% of them (42,900 people).

Authorities and the United Nations both expect an increase in the pace of refugee flows as it seems the Russian army is focusing its efforts on major Ukrainian cities.

According to the United Nations, up to 4 million people may seek to leave the country to escape the war.

Filippo Grandi said, “We are witnessing what might be the worst refugee crisis in Europe in this century.”

Of this total amount, $1.1 billion will be allocated to assist 6 million people in the country for an initial period of 3 months, according to a statement issued by the organization, which also estimated that 12 million people will need assistance in Ukraine in addition to more than 4 million refugees who managed to flee the battles to neighboring countries.