“2023 proved to be a turbulent year in the global community, marking the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, renewed conflicts in Armenia and Gaza, earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, and a steady increase in the number of displaced people worldwide,” said Eero Janson, the Director of the Estonian Refugee Council (ERC), in the foreword of the annual report. This context highlights how ERC enhanced its operational capacity and grew to become the largest humanitarian organisation in the Baltics. Last year, over 100 people worked at ERC, and the organisation's annual income exceeded 22.6 million euros.

In 2023, ERC operated in Estonia, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Jordan, and Türkiye, supporting over one hundred thousand people affected by crises through emergency response, economic recovery, and protection and empowerment.

Founded in 2000 and certified by the European Union, the largest branch of the humanitarian organisation is located in Ukraine, supporting people affected by the war, including those in frontline and hard-to-reach areas. In 2023, ERC provided cash-based assistance to over 80,000 people in Ukraine, distributed over 35,000 food packages, and helped more than 100 women start or develop their micro-enterprises. Since the start of the full-scale war, ERC has supported over 280,000 people in Ukraine. This makes ERC one of the largest providers of cash-based assistance in Ukraine.

In Estonia, ERC supported the integration and adaptation of refugees arriving in the country. Throughout the year, the organisation conducted training sessions for over 11,000 people, hosted community events for nearly 5,000 participants, organised children's camps for over 120 children, conducted 800 protection monitoring interviews, and supported the mental well-being of more than 160 people through mental health programmes. ERC also assisted over 40 individuals in achieving self-sufficiency through entrepreneurship programmes.

Additionally, in 2023, the organisation responded to the Türkiye-Syria earthquake, assisted people fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh in Armenia, supported internally displaced people and refugees in Georgia, and established water-efficient greenhouses to support vulnerable female-led households in Jordan.

The organisation's funding is primarily covered by institutional donors such as the European Union, USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), among others. Last year, our income was 22.6 million euros, with institutional donors contributing 95% of the total. The organisation raised over 480,000 euros in donations.

More information about ERC's activities in 2023 can be found in our recently published annual report.