2025 was an exceptionally difficult year for the humanitarian sector, as global needs grew faster than the available capacity to respond. Despite this, the support of the Estonian Refugee Council reached more than 55,000 people across seven countries.
For the Estonian Refugee Council, 2025 also meant adapting to a rapidly changing environment. “We continued delivering humanitarian aid in Ukraine, Georgia and Syria, and started operations in Gaza. We increasingly had to focus on flexibility, strengthening partnerships, and finding ways to maximise impact with limited resources. In Estonia, we continued working to support the self-reliance, mental well-being and integration of people with refugee and migrant backgrounds. We also invested more in empowering communities and amplifying people’s own voices, as sustainable solutions are created with people, not for them,” added Eero Janson, Director of the Estonian Refugee Council.
In 2025, the Estonian Refugee Council operated in a total of seven countries, assisting people affected by crises in Estonia, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Jordan, Syria and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Support was provided through humanitarian aid as well as economic and social well-being programmes.
- Through its humanitarian assistance, the organisation supported more than 40,000 people in Ukraine, Georgia, Syria and Gaza.
- Through its economic recovery programmes, more than 3,000 people were supported in Ukraine, Estonia, Armenia and Jordan.
- Through its protection and empowerment programmes, nearly 12,000 people were assisted in Estonia, Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine.
In Estonia, the organisation supported the inclusion and integration of refugees who had arrived in the country. Over the year, more than 570 people used counselling services, over 5,200 participated in trainings, and more than 1,400 attended community events. In addition, 185 protection monitoring interviews were conducted, and 60 people received support through mental health programmes. More than 120 people also received assistance in starting small businesses and entering the labour market.
In 2025, the Estonian Refugee Council marked its 25th anniversary, having supported more than 470,000 people over the past quarter of a century. The organisation also hosted its third annual international humanitarian conference in Tallinn, focusing on funding challenges and reform, digital solutions, and access to crisis-affected communities.
The organisation’s funding is primarily provided by institutional donors such as the European Union, the Government of the United States, the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), among others. In 2024, the Estonian Refugee Council’s total income amounted to EUR 11.53 million, of which 95% came from institutional funding. Donations totalled EUR 130,000.
More information about the Estonian Refugee Council’s 2025 activities can be found in our latest annual report.