It is wonderful that so many people in Estonia have taken initiative and have reached out to help the Ukrainian refugees without hesitation. However, in a communication born out of empathy and goodwill, the purpose and limits of such assistance should be agreed upon from the start in order to avoid hidden dangers and causing harm instead of good, writes Anu Viltrop from the Estonian Refugee Council.

Read more on ERR. 

• We have already helped more than 100,000 people in Ukraine with implementing multi-purpose cash assistance
• The most important information for refugees can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions section of our website: https://www.pagulasabi.ee/en/general

The head of Bon Soya's vegan food business, Karin Miller, was one of many volunteers who left her paid job during the escalating war to devote herself full-time to Estonian Refugee Council's evacuation headquarters. She chose Estonian Refugee Council because of our quick action and long experience: „Refugee Council was the first organization to fill the vacuum of needed assistance that arose after the outbreak of war when countries themselves could not mobilize aid.“

Estonian Refugee Council (ERC) is a value-driven non-governmental EU-certified humanitarian organization. ERC was established 21 years ago and currently provides humanitarian assistance to displaced people and other vulnerable people in 5 crisis-affected countries (Ukraine, Georgia, Jordan, Lebanon, and Kenya) and different support services to beneficiaries of international protection in Estonia. Our mission is to stand for the rights and well-being of refugees and other vulnerable groups in Estonia and abroad.

Since the beginning of the escalation of the war in Ukraine, Estonian Refugee Council has provided financial support to more than 100 000 people who are in need of food, medicine, hygiene products, and other essentials. On average, Estonian Refugee Council provided around 16 million euros for humanitarian aid.

• We have already helped more than 100 000 people with implementing multi-purpose cash assistance.
• We created a separate page for Estonian companies that want to support Ukrainian women in their independent coping and recovery from the war.

Humanitarian aid in Ukraine

What we are doing? ​

As the war escalated, the number of requests to the Estonian Refugee Council increased significantly. Our employees' phones rang 24/7 and questions were asked on all sorts of imaginable and unthinkable topics. Most callers were people who wanted to escape from Ukraine or who had already arrived in Estonia, and from helpful Estonians. There was a lot of confusion in the first few weeks, and many burning questions were unanswered.

• Estonian Refugee Council helps women start their own businesses in Ukraine to ensure a sustainable income. Read more about some examples and short stories about last year's participants lives and businesses in the light of the current war here. 

The Estonian Refugee Council, in cooperation with Garage48 and the Ukrainian partner organisation Unity for the Future, will open a women's entrepreneurship programme in Ukraine for the third time. The programme is intended primarily for those who have lost their income because of the war and who wish to become micro or small entrepreneurs.