In April 2020, Georgia turned to Estonia to submit a request to start assistance projects in Georgia. The Covid-19 epidemic has had a devastating effect on the country's economy as well as causing food security problems, especially for people who are already in a difficult situation. In January of this year, Estonian Refugee Council started a project to support Georgian women in five internally displaced persons settlements. Read more and see the maps on our Georgian Humanitarian Aid page. .

Estonian Refugee Council, Garage48 and Ukraine's local partner Unity for the Future invite women from Eastern Ukraine to participate in the Empowering Women entrepreneurship program. During the program, women can come up with their own business ideas, the best of which receive start-up support and comprehensive mentoring to develop their sustainable enterprises to better support their families.

Five out of six Estonian Refugee Council's EU Aid Volunteers deployed in Balkan countries and Lebanon are now employed and attribute their success to the program's international experience.

At the invitation of the Estonian Refugee Council, in August 2020, the Estonian people donated more than 10,000 euros to support the victims of the explosion in the Lebanese capital Beirut. We have previously written about Ziad, whose house was renovated with the help of Estonians. Here is the story of Saad.

One of the streets in Beirut after the blast. Phootos: Sawa for Development and Aid

The Estonian Refugee Council's social enterprise Siin & Sääl opened an e-shop selling high-quality handicraft products from masks to coffee blends and cookies. The products are made by refugees and people with a migrant background living in Estonia, in addition, handmade masks made by Syrian refugees living in Lebanon are for sale.

On 6 December 2020, Estonian Refugee Council celebrates its 20th birthday. Take a look at the birthday greetings video!

Hille Hanso, Estonian Refugee Council's Middle East project coordinator

The Estonian Refugee Council has a clothing design and production company roughly 4500 kilometers away from Tallinn. Located in the Beqaa Valley, Lebanon, it supports Syrian refugees under the trademark The Master Peace. We created this social enterprise in collaboration with a local organization called SAWA for Development and Aid. The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs finances the project.

On 4^th of August, the Beirut port explosion destroyed one third of the city; unfortunately several members of SAWA’s team where directly affected, due to the proximity of their homes. Ziad lives in Achrafieh, a few hundred meters away from the blast epicenter; his apartment is located on the 6^th floor of an old building near the Saint Georges hospital which endured great destruction and a number of casualties.

This Joint Statement of European civil society organizations is a reply to EU proposal for the new Pact on Migration and Asylum.

Estonian Refugee Council's Jordan branch Head of Office, Omar Alakhras, sheds light on how he first started to provide help to Syrian refugees, why he supports women rights and last but not least, how he ended up working for Estonian non-profit organization. Interview by Hille Hanso, Estonian Refugee Council, Middle East Project Coordinator.

Tell us a little about how you came to work with the refugees and in the humanitarian sector?