The Estonian Refugee Council (ERC) has published its 2024 annual report, summarising the key activities of the past year. In 2024, the organisation reached over 69,000 people, providing immediate assistance in crisis situations and supporting long-term recovery. Throughout the year, ERC operated in 6 countries: Estonia, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Jordan and Lebanon. As of 2024, the organisation employed 129 staff members and had a total income of €19.69 million. 

“The year 2024 was busy and multifaceted for the Estonian Refugee Council. The war in Ukraine entered its third year, while the Middle East witnessed pivotal developments in Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon. At the same time, refugees in Armenia, Jordan and Georgia faced serious economic challenges. In Estonia, Ukrainians who fled the war are now navigating a new phase of adaptation and rebuilding their lives. Through it all, our work has always remained centred on the refugee – an ordinary person in an extraordinary situation,” writes Eero Janson, Director of the Estonian Refugee Council, in the foreword to the annual report.

• In 2024, we delivered life-saving humanitarian aid to nearly 56,000 people in Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, and Lebanon. We helped crisis-affected people to meet their basic needs, access medical care, survive harsh winter conditions, and find emergency shelter.
• We supported the economic recovery of more than 6,000 people in Ukraine, Georgia, Jordan, and Estonia. We helped start small businesses and provided support in securing meaningful employment, enabling people to rebuild their lives after crisis.
• We also helped over 7,000 people through our protection and empowerment programme in Estonia and Georgia. We supported people in adapting to new environments and building self-reliance – providing reliable information, counselling, mental health support, community events, and advocacy to ensure the voices of crisis-affected people are heard.

“A heartfelt thank you to everyone who’s been part of this journey and continues to walk it with us – our team, partners, supporters, local communities, and most importantly, the people we serve. We will carry on in the same spirit: ready to learn, innovate, and move forward with courage,” Janson adds.

You can read more about the Estonian Refugee Council’s activities in 2024 in the newly published annual report.