31/03/2024
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Renewed conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh has forced over 115,000 people to seek refuge in Armenia since September 2023, dramatically increasing the number of displaced individuals residing in the country. Given Armenia's economic precarity and vulnerability to external shocks, this influx has also affected significant portions of the host community. Estimates indicate that nearly 8% of Armenia's population is now in need of humanitarian support.
The mass exodus of 2023 was preceded by a year-long blockade of the Lachin corridor, cutting former residents of Karabakh off from the outside world and causing severe shortages of essential goods and services. Consequently, those who have recently arrived in Armenia require comprehensive health and mental health support, as well as food and shelter assistance. To explore the humanitarian needs and recommended actions in detail, we encourage you to read our full report below.
To read the report, click HERE.
13/05/2025
Overview of the Estonian Refugee Council's Activities in April
Overview of the Estonian Refugee Council's Activities in April
Eestis algasid pagulastaustaga noortele mõeldud ettevõtluskoolituse “Start Smart” koolitused. Eestis viisime läbi emadepäeva kampaania “Kingitus kahele emale”, et toetada Ukrainas elavaid emasid hügieenitarvetega. Eestis viime läbi "MindSpring" grupipõhist programmi pagulastaustaga inimestele, mis toetab hakkamasaamist uues ja võõras riigis. Ukrainas alustame nõuandeliini kaudu vaimse tervise toe pakkumist nii Ukrainas kui ka mujal riikides asuvatele ukrainlastele, et toetada sõja tõttu kannatanud inimeste hakkamasaamist. Armeenias, Tavushi piirkonnas jätkuvad tööd, et leevendada vee- ja energiasäästlike põllumajanduslahenduste toel veepuudust, edendada kliimamuutustega toimetulekut ja pakkuda lastele keskkonnaalast haridust.Gruusias toetame sealsete Ukraina pagulasi rahapõhise humanitaarabiga, et toetada inimeste toimetulekut ja aidata neil igapäevase eluga paremini toime tulla.Jordaanias toetame haavatavas seisus perede toimetulekut, mille eesotsas on naised. Koolitame kohalikke ja pagulastaustaga naisi Süüriast, et nad saaksid kasvatada perele vajalikku toitu hüdropoonilistes kasvuhoonetes.
29/04/2025
Estonian Refugee Council launches Mother’s Day donation campaign to support Ukrainian mothers
Estonian Refugee Council launches Mother’s Day donation campaign to support Ukrainian mothers
Today marks the start of the Estonian Refugee Council’s Mother’s Day campaign, A gift for two mothers, aimed at helping mothers in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya region by providing essential hygiene supplies.
14/04/2025
Ukrainian Refugees Adapting Well to Life in Estonia
Ukrainian Refugees Adapting Well to Life in Estonia
Estonian Refugee Council, together with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), conducted a socio-economic survey called SEIS among Ukrainian refugees, shedding light on their experiences integrating into a new society.
10/04/2025
Overview of the Estonian Refugee Council's Activities in March
Overview of the Estonian Refugee Council's Activities in March
The Estonian Refugee Council is opening a representative office in Syria to support people affected by the civil war and contribute to the country's reconstruction.The third season of the Empowering Women entrepreneurship programme has concluded in Estonia. Estonian Refugee Council supported 14 teams with participants with a refugee background.In the Tavush region of Armenia, construction has begun on three hydroponic greenhouses. These aim to help alleviate water shortages, support climate resilience, and provide environmental education for children, using water- and energy-efficient agricultural solutions developed in Estonia.We are launching a new programme in Georgia to strengthen local non-profit organisations and civil society groups.In Jordan, we are supporting vulnerable families, particularly those headed by women. We are training both local women and women with a refugee background from Syria to grow food for their families in hydroponic greenhouses.
04/04/2025
Entrepreneurship and Inspiration: The Third Season of "Empowering Women" Has Concluded
Entrepreneurship and Inspiration: The Third Season of "Empowering Women" Has Concluded
The third season of the Empowering Women entrepreneurship programme, launched in autumn by the Estonian Refugee Council, Garage48, and Swedbank, has successfully concluded. A total of 26 female-led teams completed the programme, including four with refugee backgrounds.
03/04/2025
Estonian Refugee Council´s Exhibition on Displaced People Arrives in Tartu
Estonian Refugee Council´s Exhibition on Displaced People Arrives in Tartu
In collaboration with Tartu Oskar Luts City Library, the Estonian Refugee Council invites everyone to visit the portrait exhibition Voices from Crises: Stories of Displaced People, displayed on Vabaduse boulevard in Tartu from 3rd April. The exhibition showcases the stories of refugees living in Estonia.
01/04/2025
ERC supports conflict-affected Ukrainians build financial security through Emergency Livelihoods support
ERC supports conflict-affected Ukrainians build financial security through Emergency Livelihoods support
Kyrychkove village is located in Dnipropetrovska oblast, where there is a high risk of missile and guided aerial bomb attacks. Olena lives here with her son and two daughters. Before the full-scale invasion, Kyrychkove was quite a big village, but now only 7 houses are still inhabited. There is limited functional infrastructure and no public transport in the village, so to buy food or to access medical services, Olena must take an expensive taxi and go to a nearby village located closer to the highway or to a large town further away.
28/03/2025
Elderly and Youth Project Helped Participants Adapt to a New Environment
Elderly and Youth Project Helped Participants Adapt to a New Environment
The project aimed at bringing together different generations while focusing on building and maintaining relationships between two different yet similarly positioned groups—elderly refugees and both refugee and local young people—has successfully concluded. Over eight months, participants met 12 times, engaging in activities such as visiting Kihnu Island, performing theatre, learning about artificial intelligence, preparing traditional Ukrainian cuisine, and much more.
24/03/2025
AI Training Course for Refugee Youth Launches in April
AI Training Course for Refugee Youth Launches in April
Registration has opened for the "Start Smart" entrepreneurship training, organised as part of the "UPBEAT" labour market programme. The aim of the training is to enhance the competitiveness of young people with refugee and migration backgrounds in entrepreneurship and the job market through learning about artificial intelligence.
21/03/2025
Estonian Refugee Council to Open a Representative Office in Syria
Estonian Refugee Council to Open a Representative Office in Syria
The Estonian Refugee Council is launching operations in Syria to support those affected by nearly 14 years of civil war and to contribute to the country’s reconstruction. The Syrian humanitarian crisis remains one of the largest in the world, with 16.7 million people—approximately three-quarters of the population—in need of various forms of humanitarian aid. The Estonian Refugee Council will assist both internally displaced people and those returning home after prolonged periods as refugees.