Russian forces are systematically targeting energy infrastructure across the country, president Zelensky has declared a state of emergency in the energy sector. Electricity supply is unreliable, with frequent power outages, leaving many homes barely warmer than the winter streets outside. Temperatures remain bitterly cold, dropping as low as -20°C in some areas.

With the support of donors in Estonia, we raised €30,000 to provide winter heating assistance to families living near the front lines in Ukraine. On 6 December, the Estonian Refugee Council celebrated 25 years of supporting people who have lost their homes and sense of security. Over this time, we have supported more than 470,000 people affected by crises.  In Estonia, more than 300 people participated in adaptation training, and over 330 people took part in community activities in December. In Ukraine, we supported more than 170 families in Dnipropetrovska and Zaporizhzhia oblasts with cash-based livestock livelihoods support.  Since October, nearly 4,290 families in frontline and hard-to-reach areas of Eastern and Southern Ukraine – including Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts – have received winter heating assistance. In Georgia, we provided winter livelihoods support to 515 people who fled Ukraine, helping them cover their basic needs during the colder months.  In Syria, we distributed cash-based humanitarian assistance to 65 people in the Latakia region to help alleviate the consequences of the summer wildfires. 

Thanks to the environmental education programme by the Estonian Refugee Council, students at three schools in the Tavush region of Armenia can now learn sustainable agricultural methods and contribute to environmental protection through their daily practices. Hydroponic greenhouses and composting facilities have been established at the schools, and the environmental education of the students is actively supported.

Young Ukrainians who have fled the war to Estonia want to speak Estonian, but their language learning is often hindered by a lack of practice and fear of making mistakes. To support young people’s language learning, the Estonian Refugee Council has organised more than 60 meetings based on the invisible language learning methodology for young people with a refugee background over the course of the autumn.

Starting life in a new country can be a major challenge, and adapting often takes longer than initially expected. In autumn, in cooperation with the Integration Foundation, we launched a series of events across Estonia to support people with refugee and migrant backgrounds in coping with everyday life and to encourage them to participate actively in society.

At the beginning of December, the Estonian Refugee Council, together with its local partner, the Shchedryk Charitable Foundation, travelled to Novopavlivka – a small village in the Velykooleksandrivska community of Kherson oblast that has been living with war for more than three years.

Jordan is one of the world’s largest refugee-hosting nations and also one of the most water-scarce countries, and therefore needs support to cope. This November marked the completion of a programme in Jordan that helped Syrian refugee and local women-headed households in vulnerable situations to become more self-reliant by using smart and climate-friendly agricultural methods. In total, we trained 50 vulnerable women, and built hydroponic greenhouses for 12 of them to use.

In Estonia, Estonian language sessions for young people aged 13–18 continue, based on the immersive language-learning methodology developed by Tallinn University. In November, more than 320 people took part in adaptation trainings in Estonia. Trainings related to residence permits remain the most popular. In Ukraine, entrepreneurship training began for 105 entrepreneurs to help people affected by the war create or develop a sustainable source of income. In November, we provided winter heating assistance to a total of 2,260 families. In Armenia, three greenhouses were completed at schools in the Tavush region, and 400 students received environmental training. In Jordan, a project supporting vulnerable women-headed households in achieving independent livelihoods through smart and climate-friendly agricultural practices was completed. In Syria, we provided cash assistance to people in the city of Latakia to help them meet their basic needs following the wildfires.

On 6 December this year, the Estonian Refugee Council (ERC) marked 25 years of working alongside people who have lost their homes and sense of security. Founded in 2000 and certified by the European Union, ERC has grown into the largest humanitarian organisation in the Baltic region, providing rapid emergency assistance and supporting people in rebuilding their lives in various crisis zones.

In Ukraine, winter is not simply a cold season – for people in especially vulnerable situations, it is a matter of survival. The Estonian Refugee Council is launching its winter fundraising campaign to support frontline families in Ukraine with vital heating assistance.