Humanitarian aid in Ukraine

What we are doing? ​

• Implementing multi-purpose cash assistance so people can decide themselves what they need the most. As of now, we have supported 43 530 households (about 130 000 people). In total, we have mediated over 21,5 million euros cash based support (Estonian donors + WFP + OCHA + IRC). The assistance amount is 2220 UAH (= according to the new rate, about 59 EUR) per household member per month.
• We opened a separate application platform for multi-purpose cash assistance in Ukraine: https://register.pagulasabi.ee/
• Our on-site call center in Ukraine receives approximately 50-300 000 calls and serves around 1500 people per day, advising and sharing information on support options, pre-selecting our own multi-purpose cash assistance beneficiaries and referring people to other programmes as needed.
• Supporting hospitals in Eastern Ukraine with medical supplies, food and other necessities (e.g. generators).
• Handed out 2900 blankets, 900 blankets, 4600 sleeping bags and other essentials to the people in bomb shelters and IDP accommodations.
• We are part of the Joint Market Monitoring Initiative (JMMI), under which we help the humanitarian sector maintain a consistent overview of how and where in Ukraine markets are operating, whether and how fast basic necessities prices are rising, and so on. Our area of responsibility are the Zaporizhia and Kharkiv oblasts. Read the latest raport here. 
• In cooperation with the local volunteer group Kyiv Volunteers, we will carry out a food distribution program in the liberated areas of the Kiev oblasts, where the markets are not yet functioning well. One food package that meets international standards lasts for two weeks.

In addition to the support of Estonian donors, we also carry out cash-based assistance with international partners:

• With the World Food Programme (WFP) we support 60 500 people in the Kiev, Kharkiv, Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts with multi-purpose cash assistance.
• With the funding from the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) we will within three months provide cash-based assistance in total to 12 000 people in the Zaporizhia and Donetsk oblasts.
• With the funding of  International Rescue Committee (IRC) 21 000 people in Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Kiev, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Kherson and Mykolaiv regions will receive 3-month cash support.

Supporting Ukrainian refugees in Estonia

What we are doing?​

• The Estonian Refugee Council’s counselling center in Tallinn (Liivalaia 28) continues to counsel both refugees and their loved ones from Tuesday to Thursday (Tuesday from 12-19, Wednesday-Thursday from 10-17). An information hotline is open for Ukrainian refugees and people helping them: +372 5881 1311 (workdays from 10 am to 5 pm); also e-mail: dopomoha@pagulasabi.ee. NB! On 2nd and 3rd of August, our office is closed!
• The most important information for refugees can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions section of our website: https://www.pagulasabi.ee/en/general
• We mediate accomondation offers from our database. Of all the offers, we have already mediated 940 households. Upload your accommodations to special Kinnisvara24 portal. 
• We have started various group counselling’s for Ukrainians on four different topics: adaptation, labour market, digital skills and children's adaptation. Already 75 digital skills, 78 adaptation, 28 child's adaptation workshops and 5 work-related group counselings have taken place around Estonia (check the map below) and over 1200 Ukrainian refugees have participated. We conduct group counseling together with our good partners: BCS koolitus, MTÜ Igale Lapsele Pere, Töötukassa and Tööinspektsioon.

The counties where we organize group counseling are marked with pink on the map.​ 

• We offer support groups led by psychotherapists in Tallinn and Maardu. To register for the group, call the Tallinn Psychological Crisis Center on 631 4300 (Mon-Fri 9-19, Sat 10-15). 
• We are paying school support to all refugee children going to school in Estonia. Currently 1768 applications have been received and support has been paid based on 1627 applications to 2159 children, in total amount of 107 950 euros. The remaining applications are being checked and verified.
• A city camp for children aged 13-19 is taking place in Tallinn. We are organizing four overnight camps for children aged 7-18. These will take place in July and August. We accept up to 150 children with refugee backgrounds in the camps.

Donations and use of donations

• Over 5,4 million euros has accumulated in donations for the Refugee Council, including targeted donations made for organizing evacuations and donations for activities in Estonia. Within May, 2,8 million euros has already been spent on giving humanitarian aid in Ukraine and 555 000 euros on evacuations. We have paid out school supports over 107 000 euros. 
• Donations for the Estonian the Refugee Council can be made on our donation page and For Ukraine campaign page.

All our financial reports are audited annually. If you want more detailed information, please send an inquiry to info@pagulasabi.ee.

In addition

• ​More about school support
• More about group counselling
• How the money from Estonian donors helps to save lives in Ukraine
• Eero Janson: People in Ukraine need money, not things
• How we organized evacuations for over a month
• Story about Estonian woman who opened her home to refugees
• More about the cooperation with the World Food Programme (WFP)
• Anu Viltrop: not every helper is a supporter and not every supporter is a friend

Estonian Refugee Council is a non-profit association founded in 2000 and operating in the public interest, with the aim of standing up for the rights and well-being of refugees in Estonia and abroad. Estonian Refugee Council is a humanitarian aid organization certified by the European Union. In Eastern Ukraine, Refugee Council has been providing humanitarian aid since 2014.

Foto: Hlib Stoiko, distribution of food parcels in the villages of the previously occupied Kiev oblasts