support services

Overview of Estonian Refugee Council on August 29

29.08.2022

Humanitarian aid in Ukraine

What we are doing?

  • Implementing multi-purpose cash assistance so people can decide themselves what they need the most. As of now, we have supported 46 706 households (about 140 000 people). In total, we have mediated over 23,7 million euros cash based support (Estonian donors + WFP + OCHA + IRC). The assistance amount is 2220 UAH (= according to the new rate, about 59 EUR) per household member per month.
  • We opened a separate application platform for multi-purpose cash assistance in Ukraine: https://register.pagulasabi.ee/
  • Our on-site call center in Ukraine receives approximately 50-100 000 calls and serves around 1000 people per day, advising and sharing information on support options, pre-selecting our own multi-purpose cash assistance beneficiaries and referring people to other programmes as needed.
  • Supporting hospitals in Eastern Ukraine with medical supplies, food and other necessities (e.g. generators).
  • Handed out 2900 blankets,  4600 sleeping bags and other essentials to the people in bomb shelters and IDP accommodations.
  • We are part of the Joint Market Monitoring Initiative (JMMI), under which we help the humanitarian sector maintain a consistent overview of how and where in Ukraine markets are operating, whether and how fast basic necessities prices are rising, and so on. Our area of responsibility are the Zaporizhia and Kharkiv oblasts. Read the latest raport from June 2022. 
  • In cooperation with the local volunteer group Kyiv Volunteers, we will carry out a food distribution program in the liberated areas of the Kiev oblasts, where the markets are not yet functioning well. One food package that meets international standards lasts for two weeks.

In addition to the support of Estonian donors, we also carry out cash-based assistance with international partners:

  • With funding from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), we support 32,190 people in Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Kharkiv regions.
  • With the funding from the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) we will within three months provide cash-based assistance in total to 12 000 people in the Zaporizhia and Donetsk oblasts.
  • With the funding of  International Rescue Committee (IRC) 21 000 people in Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Kiev, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Kherson and Mykolaiv regions will receive 3-month cash support.
  • With the World Food Programme (WFP) we support 60 500 people in the Kiev, Kharkiv, Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts with multi-purpose cash assistance.

Supporting Ukrainian refugees in Estonia

What we are doing?

  • The Estonian Refugee Council’s counselling center in Tallinn (Liivalaia 28) continues to counsel both refugees and their loved ones from Tuesday to Thursday (Tuesday from 12-19, Wednesday-Thursday from 10-17). An information hotline is open for Ukrainian refugees and people helping them: +372 5881 1311 (workdays from 10am to 5pm); also e-mail: dopomoha@pagulasabi.ee. 
  • The most important information for refugees can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions section of our website: https://www.pagulasabi.ee/en/general
  • We mediate accomondation offers from our database. Of all the offers, we have already mediated 975 households. Upload your accommodations to special Kinnisvara24 portal.
  • We offer various group counselling’s for Ukrainians on four different topics: adaptation, labour market, digital skills and children's adaptation. Already 114 digital skills, 98 adaptation, 49 child's adaptation workshops and 11 work-related group counselings have taken place around Estonia and over 1700 Ukrainian refugees have participated. We conduct group counseling together with our good partners: BCS koolitus, MTÜ Igale Lapsele Pere, Töötukassa and Tööinspektsioon.
  • We offer support groups led by psychotherapists in Tallinn and Maardu. To register for the group, call the Tallinn Psychological Crisis Center on 631 4300 (Mon-Fri 9-19, Sat 10-15). 
  • We are paying school support to all refugee children going to school in Estonia. Currently 2584 applications have been received and support has been paid based on 1987 applications to 2612 children, in total amount of 130 600 euros. The remaining applications are being checked and verified.
  • During the summer, we conducted five camps, in which a total of 117 children with a refugee background took part. Four overnight camps were held: three camps in Topu in Lääne County (two camps with a total of 35 participants aged 7-13 and one camp with 21 participants aged 14-18) and one in Remnik in Ida-Viru County (49 participants aged 14-18). 12 children aged 14-19 participated in the city camp in Tallinn. We are also planning joint activities in the fall with the purpose to offer young people opportunities to create friendships and get to know Estonia.

 

Donations and use of donations

  • Over 5,4 million euros has accumulated in donations for the Refugee Council, including targeted donations made for organizing evacuations and donations for activities in Estonia. Within May, 2,8 million euros has already been spent on giving humanitarian aid in Ukraine and 555 000 euros on evacuations. We have paid out school supports over 130 000 euros. 
  • Donations for the Estonian the Refugee Council can be made on our donation page and For Ukraine campaign page.

All our financial reports are audited annually. If you want more detailed information, please send an inquiry to info@pagulasabi.ee.

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Estonian Refugee Council is a non-profit association founded in 2000 and operating in the public interest, with the aim of standing up for the rights and well-being of refugees in Estonia and abroad. Estonian Refugee Council is a humanitarian aid organization certified by the European Union. In Eastern Ukraine, Refugee Council has been providing humanitarian aid since 2014.