The trends in humanitarian assistance were discussed at the Estonian Refugee Counsil's international conference in Tallinn

20/11/2023
ERC

Countries

243
665
Programmes

16.11.2023

The conference of ERC held in Tallinn last week, on November 9, brought together humanitarian assistance experts from around the world to discuss how to provide aid as effectively as possible in a changing world using digital solutions, cash-based aid and local empowerment.

Eero Janson, head of the Estonian Refugee Council, said in his opening remarks that if 25 years ago Estonia was still in the role of a recipient of humanitarian aid, now it can quickly and effectively contribute to helping others. "Digitalization and artificial intelligence, cash-based aid and empowerment of people on the ground, smart use of data - these are some of the trends that give hope for even better and more effective assistance delivery."

The keynote address of the conference was given by Juliet Parker, head of the United Kingdom-based organization ALNAP, who emphasized the importance of ensuring long-term and consistent aid in crisis areas. "As crises drag on for a long time, victims seek help over a longer period of time, not just one-off short aid packages," emphasized Parker.

Mariin Ratnik, Deputy Chancellor for Foreign Economy and Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, said in her opening speech that the world's need for humanitarian aid is increasing, both due to armed conflicts and climate change. "Crisis response funding is not keeping pace with needs and cannot be expected to keep pace. The humanitarian aid system is underfunded and overburdened. We have to do things differently.” 

Conference images: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uSy0HeUOa3GlkV225gCgqlGsLSMrVMJ7 

Photographer: Anastasiia Lysenko

The organization of the conference was supported by the Estonian Center for International Development Cooperation.

estdev

Estonian Refugee Council is a public interest non-profit organization founded in 2000, whose goal is to stand up for the rights and well-being of refugees in Estonia and abroad. ERC is a humanitarian aid organization certified by the European Union.

painting of a resting child
29/04/2025
Estonian Refugee Council launches Mother’s Day donation campaign to support Ukrainian mothers
Estonian Refugee Council launches Mother’s Day donation campaign to support Ukrainian mothers
Today marks the start of the Estonian Refugee Council’s Mother’s Day campaign, A gift for two mothers, aimed at helping mothers in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya region by providing essential hygiene supplies.
Landscape with destroyed houses and group of young people standing infant
10/04/2025
Overview of the Estonian Refugee Council's Activities in March
Overview of the Estonian Refugee Council's Activities in March
The Estonian Refugee Council is opening a representative office in Syria to support people affected by the civil war and contribute to the country's reconstruction.The third season of the Empowering Women entrepreneurship programme has concluded in Estonia. Estonian Refugee Council supported 14 teams with participants with a refugee background.In the Tavush region of Armenia, construction has begun on three hydroponic greenhouses. These aim to help alleviate water shortages, support climate resilience, and provide environmental education for children, using water- and energy-efficient agricultural solutions developed in Estonia.We are launching a new programme in Georgia to strengthen local non-profit organisations and civil society groups.In Jordan, we are supporting vulnerable families, particularly those headed by women. We are training both local women and women with a refugee background from Syria to grow food for their families in hydroponic greenhouses.
Group of women with roll ups on the background
04/04/2025
Entrepreneurship and Inspiration: The Third Season of "Empowering Women" Has Concluded
Entrepreneurship and Inspiration: The Third Season of "Empowering Women" Has Concluded
The third season of the Empowering Women entrepreneurship programme, launched in autumn by the Estonian Refugee Council, Garage48, and Swedbank, has successfully concluded. A total of 26 female-led teams completed the programme, including four with refugee backgrounds.
Art work in a sunny park in Tartu
03/04/2025
Estonian Refugee Council´s Exhibition on Displaced People Arrives in Tartu
Estonian Refugee Council´s Exhibition on Displaced People Arrives in Tartu
In collaboration with Tartu Oskar Luts City Library, the Estonian Refugee Council invites everyone to visit the portrait exhibition Voices from Crises: Stories of Displaced People, displayed on Vabaduse boulevard in Tartu from 3rd April. The exhibition showcases the stories of refugees living in Estonia.
Олена та корівка

Countries

243
665
01/04/2025
ERC supports conflict-affected Ukrainians build financial security through Emergency Livelihoods support
ERC supports conflict-affected Ukrainians build financial security through Emergency Livelihoods support
Kyrychkove village is located in Dnipropetrovska oblast, where there is a high risk of missile and guided aerial bomb attacks. Olena lives here with her son and two daughters. Before the full-scale invasion, Kyrychkove was quite a big village, but now only 7 houses are still inhabited. There is limited functional infrastructure and no public transport in the village, so to buy food or to access medical services, Olena must take an expensive taxi and go to a nearby village located closer to the highway or to a large town further away.
Programmes
People
28/03/2025
Elderly and Youth Project Helped Participants Adapt to a New Environment
Elderly and Youth Project Helped Participants Adapt to a New Environment
The project aimed at bringing together different generations while focusing on building and maintaining relationships between two different yet similarly positioned groups—elderly refugees and both refugee and local young people—has successfully concluded. Over eight months, participants met 12 times, engaging in activities such as visiting Kihnu Island, performing theatre, learning about artificial intelligence, preparing traditional Ukrainian cuisine, and much more.
employability programme flyer for refugee youth
24/03/2025
AI Training Course for Refugee Youth Launches in April
AI Training Course for Refugee Youth Launches in April
Registration has opened for the "Start Smart" entrepreneurship training, organised as part of the "UPBEAT" labour market programme. The aim of the training is to enhance the competitiveness of young people with refugee and migration backgrounds in entrepreneurship and the job market through learning about artificial intelligence.
Man on a bicycle on the road in Syria, trees on the background
21/03/2025
Estonian Refugee Council to Open a Representative Office in Syria
Estonian Refugee Council to Open a Representative Office in Syria
The Estonian Refugee Council is launching operations in Syria to support those affected by nearly 14 years of civil war and to contribute to the country’s reconstruction. The Syrian humanitarian crisis remains one of the largest in the world, with 16.7 million people—approximately three-quarters of the population—in need of various forms of humanitarian aid. The Estonian Refugee Council will assist both internally displaced people and those returning home after prolonged periods as refugees.
Three people standing infront of a wall with cardboard boxes
13/03/2025
Overview of the Estonian Refugee Council's Activities in February
Overview of the Estonian Refugee Council's Activities in February
We launched a donation campaign titled “Three Years Too Many” in February to support vulnerable people in frontline and hard-to-reach areas of Ukraine.We are about to launch four community councils in Armenia with the support of EU funding, enabling people with a refugee background to voice their concerns, advocate for solutions to their problems, and participate in decision-making processes that affect them. Additionally, we are establishing self-help groups to provide mental health support and promote independent living.In Jordan we are standing for the livelihood of vulnerable female-led households by training local women and women with refugee backgrounds from Syria to grow their own food in hydroponic greenhouses. The project has gained recognition as one of the best agricultural projects in Jordan by the country's Ministry of Agriculture.  
View all News & Materials
Contact
Have questions or suggestions? Please fill out the contact form
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.