• We launched an emergency relief program for Ukrainian refugees in Georgia. 
• We continue working with community councils in Georgia. The first meetings of the new council members took place in June. 
• In Ukraine, we have provided cash assistance to over 286,000 people. 
• In Estonia, we are running a labour market program for job seekers with refugee backgrounds. 
• In June, we collected over 5800 euros in donations. Thank you!

Ukraine

We provide cash-based assistance, which allows people affected by war to purchase food, medicines, hygiene products, and other essentials. As of now, we have provided 

cash-based assistance to over 286 000 people, totaling around 52 million euros. Cash assistance is provided for three months, with support of 3600 Ukrainian hryvnias per household member per month, equivalent to about 92 euros. Registration for assistance is carried out through Estonian Refugee Council's local registration points or via 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), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) through the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF), and the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Acted is the implementing partner for EU and BHA projects.

We offer vulnerable women the opportunity to participate in entrepreneurship programmes and create or develop sustainable and crisis-resilient micro-businesses. In June, we acquired and delivered the requested assets to the 17 business ladies from the Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, and Poltava oblasts selected for the business training programme, for the total amount of over 28 000 euros. 

The entrepreneurship programme is supported by USAID/BHA and implemented in partnership with Acted and Garage48. The programme has previously also been supported by OCHA/UHF.

During June, we have supported 133 people in the Cherkasy, Kirovohrad and Poltava oblasts through the emergency livelihoods programme, totaling over 42 000 euros. The grants help people to initiate or sustain economic activities, thereby improving their self-sufficiency. We support activities related to agriculture, livestock farming, food production, and various other services in rural areas through this programme. The grants amount up to 33,000 Ukrainian hryvnias, or approximately 800 euros.
The programme is supported by the European Union, USAID/BHA, and implemented in cooperation with Acted Ukraine.

We are part of the Joint Market Monitoring Initiative (JMMI), through which we assist the humanitarian community in maintaining a consistent overview of market conditions and the price levels of essential goods in Ukraine. Through JMMI, we can better prepare our cash-based assistance programs and direct them to the areas where help is most needed. Our data collection scope covers Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Donetsk oblasts.

Estonia

We have launched a new employability programme Edge Up which is aimed at job seekers with a refugee background who wish to enter the labour market or move to a more suitable position. In June, the first group of job seekers started the programme. Each month, 10-12 people participate in the training. Registration for the programme is now open.

The employability programme is funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme, with support from the European Regional Development Fund.

We conduct monthly adaptation support training sessions as part of our counselling programme. Recently, we added new topics to our training agenda, including healthcare and social systems, as well as adaptation for parents and pensioners. We continue with previously developed training sessions covering the education system, entrepreneurship, legal issues in the context of Estonia and Ukraine, the labour market, and digital skills. The training sessions take place across Estonia, both in face-to-face and online formats, and have been attended by over 6400 refugees so far. 

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 help refugees who have suddenly lost their housing in finding emergency shelter.

We offer support person service to all beneficiaries of international protection and their family members in Estonia. Our support persons are assigned to those in need by local municipalities.
The support person service is funded by the European Union's Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Ministry of the Interior. 

As part of the Community Programme, we organise regular group activities and community events across Estonia. This year, nearly 2000 people have participated in our community activities.

We launched the Estonian Refugee Forum, an informal representative body for the beneficiaries of international protection, aimed at supporting people with refugee backgrounds in representing their communities and collectively addressing their concerns. The first meeting of the forum will be held in June, giving the participants an opportunity to get acquainted and take part in the first training focusing on advocacy and inclusion. 

The activities of the Community Programme are supported by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

In June, we conducted over 200 interviews to identify the needs and concerns of people with refugee backgrounds in Estonia.

We provide mental health support to refugees across Estonia through our MindSpring programme. The first groups were launched in March 2023, and to date, over 31 groups have been established. A total of 250 individuals have participated in MindSpring groups all over Estonia. 

On 20 June, we celebrated World Refugee Day with a community festival at Telliskivi Creative City to show support for those who have had to leave their homes. The event featured people living and working in Estonia with migration and refugee backgrounds from various countries. Visitors could participate in fun workshops, listen to music, and stroll around the craft and food market.

Georgia

In Georgia this year, we continue with Community Councils to empower civil society and amplify the voices of refugees and internally displaced persons. Community Councils serve as informal representative bodies for people with refugee backgrounds. In collaboration with the local organisation Mtskheta-Mtianeti Regional Hub, we conducted the first meetings of the new council members in June. The Community Councils programme in Georgia is supported by ESTDEV - the Estonian International Development Cooperation Centre. 

An emergency livelihoods programme was launched in June supporting home-based economic activities for Ukrainian refugees living in Georgia. The programme aims to foster the long-term self-reliance of Ukrainian refugees and help them graduate from continuous humanitarian aid. The programme is supported by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Armenia 

We are preparing Community Councils and a long-term resilience support programme in Armenia to provide a platform for displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh to represent their views and support their independent livelihoods.

Jordan

In Jordan, our focus is on vulnerable female-led households. We are preparing for the next phase of the programme, where we will develop our training centre and provide trainings for 40 women, with support for 12 to establish hydroponic greenhouses on their own land. The greenhouses enable women to grow food for their own families or enhance their income by selling produce. Additionally, we will conduct hydroponics training for four female-led community organisations to increase knowledge of water-efficient agricultural methods in the entire region.

The activities of the Estonian Refugee Council in Jordan are supported by ESTDEV – Estonian Centre for International Development.