• On 20 June, we’re hosting a youth-focused event in Tondiraba Park to mark World Refugee Day – a celebration of courage, resilience, and community. Find out more on our website or join via Facebook.
• Our mental health hotline was relaunched to support Ukrainians in Ukraine, Estonia, and beyond, helping people cope with the psychological toll of the war.
• A new programme has been launched to support Ukrainian refugee youth in Estonia with language learning and integration.
• A new programme is starting in Estonia to strengthen the capacity of local governments in matters related to migration and integration.
• In Armenia, last week experts from the Estonian University of Life Sciences visited Tavush to provide local schools with practical training in hydroponics and composting.
• In Georgia, we continue to support Ukrainian refugees with cash-based assistance to help them meet daily needs and build resilience.
• In Jordan, women-led community organisations completed the first stage of hydroponics training.
• New global Complaints and Feedback Mechanism launched by the Estonian Refugee Council allows beneficiaries, partners, and staff to submit questions, complaints, or feedback safely and confidentially.

Ukraine

We provide cash-based assistance, which allows people affected by the war to purchase food, medicines, hygiene products, and other essentials. As of now, we have provided cash-based assistance to more than 300,000 conflict-affected people, worth more than 56 million euros. Cash assistance is provided for three months, with the support of 3600 Ukrainian hryvnias per household member per month, equivalent to about 80 euros. Registration for assistance is carried out through Estonian Refugee Council's local registration points or via the online application platform. Currently, our focus is on assisting those in need in frontline areas in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, and Kherson oblasts. The programme is funded by the European Union, the USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF), and the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Acted is the lead partner for EU and BHA projects.

In May we started to map the people in need of humanitarian aid via emergency livelihood programme in Poltava, Kirovohrad and Cherkasy regions. The support is aimed at starting or continuing economic activities to improve self-reliance. We are supporting sectors related to agriculture, livestock farming, food production, and various services. The amount of support is around 700 euros. The programme is funded by the European Union, BHA, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia.

We provide psychosocial support via a mental health hotline for Ukrainians living both in Ukraine and abroad to support the people affected by the war. The work of the NPA Psychological Hotline is implemented in partnership with the National Psychological Association of Ukraine and made possible thanks to funding from ESTDEV – Estonian Centre for International Development.

As part of the A Gift for Two Mothers campaign, we raised €6,870 in donations in Estonia to help provide essential hygiene supplies to mothers living in the Zaporizhzhya region of Ukraine. 

Estonia

With the support of the European Social Fund+ social innovation initiative, we launched the Language Ladder project to support Ukrainian refugee youth in language learning and social integration. The project is implemented in cooperation with Tallinn University and the Polish organisation Dobra Fabryka. The project is funded by the European Social Fund+ through the Social Innovation support measure.

The first season of the youth-oriented training programme Start Smart has come to an end, with a total of 18 young people from Estonia having completed it. The employability programme supports the competitiveness of people with a refugee background in business and the labour market through the learning of artificial intelligence. The programme will continue in autumn. The programme was funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme with support from the European Regional Development Fund.

The Boost entrepreneurship programme has come to an end. It helped participants with a refugee background to develop or relaunch their businesses. A total of 24 teams completed the programme, and five of them were awarded in-kind support to help further develop their businesses. The programme was supported by Wise. 

The employability programme Edge Up, which began in May last year, has come to an end. It was aimed at people with a refugee background who wish to enter the labour market or move on to a more suitable position. A total of 12 groups completed the programme in Estonia and Latvia. In Latvia we have partnered up with a local organisation Shelter Safe House. Each month, 10–12 people participate in the training. The employability programme was funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme, with support from the European Regional Development Fund.

We conduct monthly adaptation support training sessions on various subjects, including use of e-services, parenting, education system, adaptation of pensioners, legal matters, entrepreneurship, medical and social system, labour market, as well as legal foundations and residence permits. The training sessions take place across Estonia, both in face-to-face and online formats. In Mai, 173 people participated in the training sessions. Since 2022, a total of over 11,200 people have taken part in these trainings. People are interested in seminars introducing the importance of learning Estonian and available language learning opportunities, as well as in ongoing legal trainings focused on different legal grounds for staying in Estonia and residence permits.

We provide counselling by appointment at the Estonian Refugee Council office (Vambola 6, Tallinn) every day from 10 am to 5 pm. Our information hotline is open to all refugees, as well as institutions and individuals assisting them, at +372 5881 1311 (Monday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm), and via email at counselling@pagulasabi.ee. Additionally, counselling services are available on Viber, WhatsApp, and Telegram at +372 5464 0007.

We organise regular group activities and community events across Estonia. In May, more than 400 people took part in community activities across Estonia. Several community events were held to support language learning, youth engagement, and community integration. For example, a joint celebration for Ukrainian and Estonian seniors took place in Keila, youth visited the IZUM youth club, and Mother’s Day was celebrated in Sillamäe. Community activities are supported by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

We are running the MindSpring group based programme for people with refugee backgrounds to help them adjust to life in a new country. In May, four meetings took place, and the same group will meet again twice in June. The programme is being implemented with the support of the Estonian Ecumenical Relief Organization (EERO Canada), funded by donations collected in Canada and the United States.

In cooperation with the Integration Foundation, we are launching training activities to strengthen the capacity of local governments in the fields of migration and integration. The project is co-financed by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).

Armenia 

In Armenia, we are establishing hydroponic greenhouses at three schools in the Tavush region and supporting the adoption of water- and energy-efficient agricultural solutions. Through the programme, we help schools cope with the impacts of climate change and ensure food security in water-scarce conditions. At the same time, the programme supports environmental education for children and increases student engagement with agricultural and environmental topics. Our partner is the Estonian University of Life Sciences to apply Estonia’s expertise in setting up and managing hydroponic greenhouses, composting systems, and energy-efficient agricultural practices. Experts from the university recently visited the Tavush region to share their knowledge on hydroponics and composting with local schools. The programme is financed by the Ministry of Climate from international cooperation funds. 

Thanks to funding from the European Union, we are launching four community councils in Armenia to enable people with refugee backgrounds to voice their concerns, advocate for solutions to their problems, and take part in decision-making processes that affect them. Similar community councils have been established in both Estonia and Georgia. In addition, we are running self-help groups that support the mental well-being of people with refugee backgrounds. Currently, there is an open call to host and facilitate these councils. Throughout May, self help group meetings were held in Artashat and in Gyumri and covered topics such as business ideation, business plan development, risk management, customer management, marketing, legal aspects, financial literacy, and pricing. The groups also support the mental well-being of the participants. The graduates are currently preparing to apply for livelihood activities.The programme is funded by the European Union.

Georgia 

We are launching a new programme in Georgia to strengthen local non-governmental and civil society organisations. Through this new initiative, organisations will improve their capacity to navigate regulatory challenges, secure the funding needed for their operations, and promote cooperation across different regions. In May we chose the experts conducting the trainings and people taking part. Currently, a small-scale needs assessment is underway to better understand the capacity gaps and training priorities of local organisations, ensuring that the upcoming sessions are practical and tailored to their needs. The programme is funded by ESTDEV – Estonian Centre for International Development. 

We continue supporting Ukrainian refugees in Georgia through cash-based humanitarian assistance. This one-off support will help refugee households better cope with daily life and amounts to 265 GEL (approximately 93 euros) per person for a maximum of three people from one family. The programme is supported by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Jordan

In Jordan, we support the self-sufficiency of vulnerable female-headed households through smart and climate-friendly agricultural practices. 12 out of 40 women will receive startup grants in the form of fully constructed hydroponic greenhouses, enabling them to secure food for their families and generate income through produce sales. The project also extends its reach to four female-led community organisations, providing them with hydroponics training to promote water-efficient agricultural methods across the region. In May, we completed the first phase of training. The activities of the Estonian Refugee Council in Jordan are supported by ESTDEV – Estonian Centre for International Development.

Syria 

Estonian Refugee Council will be opening a representative office in Syria to begin operations aimed at supporting people affected by the civil war and contributing to the country's reconstruction. The Estonian Refugee Council has been involved in regional support for Syria since 2018 and has also worked to promote the long-term self-sufficiency of Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon.