'Cannot stand by and watch': Priyanka Chopra appeals to world leaders on Eastern Europe refugee crisis

Priyanka said that world leaders need to stand up for refugees around the world to ensure that they get the support they need now. 

With the Russia-Ukraine conflict in its sixth week, actor Priyanka Chopra on Saturday appealed to world leaders to assist activists working on the humanitarian crisis in eastern Europe and asked them to stand up for refugees and contribute.

Sharing her thoughts on Twitter, Priyanka said that world leaders need to stand up for refugees around the world to ensure that they get the support they need now. 

'We cannot just stand by and watch. It has gone on too long," she wrote.

In the video she added to her post, Priyanka, who is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, is heard saying, "We need you (world leaders) to answer the call from activists and advocates working to support the refugee and humanitarian crisis that we are watching unfold every day in Eastern Europe." 

"We need you to take immediate action to help displaced people from Ukraine and all around the world. To give you context, 2 million children have been forced to leave everything behind in search of safety in neighbouring countries. Together with the 2.5 million children internally displaced inside Ukraine, it's one of the fastest large-scale displacements of children since World War II. These numbers are staggering," she said.

Terming the situation in Eastern Europe as the largest refugee crisis ever seen, Priyanka called upon the leaders of the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Norway and Australia to stand up for refugees and contribute the billions (in aid) that the refugees need.

Explained: How Russia-Ukraine war is changing global equations

Explained: Russia's strategy to annex eastern Ukraine