NGO Estonian Refugee Council and the NGO Mariupol’s Friends operating in Narva, signed an cooperation agreement to ensure sustainable and professional assistance to refugees arriving in Estonia via Narva. According to the agreement, Estonian Refugee Council will support the people leading Mariupol’s Friends, who previously worked as volunteers, with a salary and will be in an advisory role if necessary.

“Mariupol’s Friends, established in April, has proven itself over the months as an important source of aid on the eastern border and it has been operating in places, where any other support hasn’t reached. With the help of volunteers, great things can be accomplished, but leading a growing organization and managing dozens of volunteers in a long-term is not a passion-based job. That is why we decided to support the Mariupol’s Friends, so that they could and would countinue to help and support refugees in transit in Narva, doing it effectively in cooperation with others” said Anu Viltrop, head of support services of Estonian Refugee Council.

Since 27. February, Estonia has admitted 84 813 Ukrainian refugees, from whom 35 517 have been in transit. Now, less than 50 refugees arrive in Narva every day, but the number has been over 500. Compared to April, there have been many developments in Narva. Among others, there has been opened an information point of Social Insurance Board. The state and IOM are offering accommodation for those in transit. Due to the high need of assistance, Mariupol’s Friends work will continue daily.

“At first, Mariupol’s Friends was just a group of people who saw, that there is too small number of helping hands in Narva and Tallinn. So we voluntarily started to offer accommodation to Ukrainian refugees who are in transit. We shared information and with the support of donators, bought them tickets for their onward journey. As the need for this kind of help kept growing, we decided to found NGO and we hope to cooperate with all parties in Narva” said Aleksandra Averjanova, board member of the NGO Mariupol’s Friends.

NGO Estonian Refugee Council was founded in the year of 2000. It’s a non-profit organisation operating in public interest. Its mission is to stand for the rights and wellbeing of refugees in Estonia and abroad. Estonian Refugee Council is a humanitarian aid organisation certified by European Union.

NGO Mariupol’s Friends is a non-profit organisation founded in 2022. Their mission is to support Ukrainian refugees in transit via Estonia.

For more information: Anu Viltrop, Estonian Refugee Council, anu@pagulasabi.ee

Aleksandra Averjanova, Mariupol’s Friends, aleksandra@mariupolisobrad.ee