• A donation campaign in Estonia is still active to provide humanitarian aid for people affected by the conflict in Lebanon.
• On 7 November, we are organising an international humanitarian conference in Tallinn, which focuses on ethical dilemmas, preventive action, and the use of artificial intelligence.
• In Ukraine, we continue to distribute winter support to cover heating costs for 4,500 households during the upcoming winter season. Assistance will be provided in cash, or alternatively, firewood or coal will be delivered directly to those in need.
• A financial assistance programme was launched in Ukraine to increase food security and self-sufficiency for vulnerable households and communities by improving the winter living conditions of livestock and poultry.
• In Armenia’s Lori region, a women’s livelihoods programme started.
• Our Armenia office has signed an agreement with the Estonian University of Life Sciences to help three schools in the Tavush region implement water- and energy-efficient agricultural solutions developed in Estonia to alleviate water scarcity and promote environmental education.
• In Georgia, a cash assistance programme has been launched to support Ukrainian refugees living there through the winter months. For more information, visit the Estonian Refugee Council´s website.

Ukraine

• We provide cash-based assistance, which allows people affected by the war to purchase food, medicines, hygiene products, and other essentials. As of now, we have provided cash-based assistance to over 295,000 conflict-affected people, totaling over 53 million euros. Cash assistance is provided for three months, with support of 3600 Ukrainian hryvnias per household member per month, equivalent to about 80 euros. Registration for assistance is carried out through Estonian Refugee Council's local registration points or via the online application platform. Currently, our focus is on assisting those in need in frontline areas in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, and Kherson oblasts. The programme is funded by the European Union, the USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) through the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF), and the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Acted is the implementing partner for EU and BHA projects.
• This winter, we will assist over 4,500 vulnerable households with heating aid. We are providing both financial and in-kind support to help cover rising heating costs and ensure fuel supplies for the winter. Registration and distribution of aid began in September, focusing on frontline and hard-to-reach areas in eastern and southern Ukraine—specifically in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts—where intensified hostilities and damaged infrastructure have severely hindered people's ability to meet their basic winter needs. In October, 1,600 vulnerable households were supported with cash for heating assistance, with the amount of 800,000 euros. The programme is funded by the European Union, the USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) through the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF), and the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Acted is the implementing partner for EU and BHA projects. NGO YES is the sub-implementing partner for the UHF project.
• We offer vulnerable women the opportunity to participate in entrepreneurship programmes to develop or create sustainable and crisis-resilient micro-businesses. In October, three participants of the Empowering Women programme received in-kind support for their business development, valued at over 9,000 euros. These women were provided with 134 hours of mentoring to help them achieve their business goals. By the end of October, women from the Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, and Poltava oblasts (regions) had received a total of 38 hours of consultations as part of resilience training. The entrepreneurship programme is supported by USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA/USAID) in partnership with Acted and Garage48.
• Last month, we supported 148 households (385 individuals) from Kirovohrad, Poltava, Cherkasy, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk oblasts through an Emergency Livelihood Assistance programme, with a total amount exceeding 104,000 euros. The support is aimed at starting or continuing economic activities to improve self-reliance. Through this programme, we are supporting sectors related to agriculture, livestock farming, food production, and various services. The amount of support is up to 36,000 Ukrainian hryvnias, or approximately 800 euros. The programme is supported by the Directorate General for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA/USAID), and the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and implemented in cooperation with Acted Ukraine.
• In October we launched the Winterization livelihoods support for livestock programme which aims to increase food security and self-sufficiency of vulnerable households and communities affected by the war by protecting and restoring their food production and livelihoods. The programme will provide financial assistance of up to UAH 32,200 to 180 households to ensure the wintering of livestock and poultry. Assistance can be received for the following activities: rehabilitation of animal shelter/barn (up to 17,200 UAH); animal feed (up to 12,000 UAH); veterinary services (up to 3,000 UAH). The programme is supported by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• We are part of the Joint Market Monitoring Initiative (JMMI), through which we assist the humanitarian community in maintaining a consistent overview of market conditions and the price levels of essential goods in Ukraine. Through JMMI, we can better prepare our cash-based assistance programs and direct them to the areas where help is most needed. Our data collection scope covers Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Donetsk oblasts.

Estonia

• For the second consecutive year, the Estonian Refugee Council and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) are conducting a household survey in Estonia among Ukrainian war refugees on behalf of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The survey aims to monitor how they are coping and to identify their main concerns and needs. In October, we published excerpts from the survey results, based on responses from 600 Ukrainians. The first part of the overview examines how safe Ukrainian refugees feel in Estonia, while the second part focuses on their coping mechanisms.
• We are running the "Edge Up" employability programme, aimed at people with a refugee background who wish to enter the job market or move on to a more suitable position. So far, five groups have completed the programme in Estonia and Latvia each. In Latvia we have partnered up with a local organisation Shelter Safe House. Each month, 10–12 people participate in the training. Registration for the programme is open. The employability programme is funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme, with support from the European Regional Development Fund.
• The third season of the Empowering Women entrepreneurship programme is underway, organised by the Estonian Refugee Council, Garage48, and Swedbank. This time, all women across Estonia are eligible to participate, with the programme available in both Estonian and Russian. The programme also includes community events and offers mental health support for participants with a refugee background. The programme is co-financed by Swedbank, Garage48, the Estonian Refugee Council, the Estonian Association of Business and Professional Women, OBJEKT, and the European Union.
• In collaboration with the Finnish organisation StartUp Refugees and the Latvian organisation Shelter “Safe House,” we are implementing a capacity-building programme to improve refugees' access to the labour market, based on mutual knowledge exchange. As part of the programme, study visits will take place in each of the three countries, aimed at sharing experiences, best practices, and addressing challenges. This will help develop methods for organisations to engage with the labour market and strengthen cooperation between partners. The project is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers.
• In collaboration with Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, we are implementing an employability programme aimed at increasing the competitiveness of individuals with a refugee background in business and the labour market through the learning of artificial intelligence. As a result of the programme, participants will be able to create AI-based digital tools to better navigate the business and work environment. A training programme will also be developed to enhance entrepreneurship and business planning skills. The first visit to Estonia is scheduled for November. The programme is funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme with support from the European Regional Development Fund.
• We conduct monthly adaptation support training sessions on various subjects, including healthcare and social systems, adaptation for parents and pensioners, education system, entrepreneurship, legal issues in the context of Estonia and Ukraine, the labour market, and digital skills. The training sessions take place across Estonia, both in face-to-face and online formats, and have been attended by over 8,700 refugees so far. As of the end of October, a total of 2,081 people have participated in the training sessions this year. There is an increasing interest in adaptation-supporting training for refugee-background pensioners in Estonia. We conduct these training sessions in a face-to-face format, as one of the aims is to help participants find new friends and like-minded individuals. However, the highest number of participants registered for the training sessions addressing legal issues, which had a total of 75 attendees. This is because, in the spring of 2025, individuals with a refugee background will have the opportunity to change the legal basis for their stay in Estonia, and they wish to prepare for this.
• We provide counselling by appointment at the Estonian Refugee Council office (Vambola 6, Tallinn) every day from 10 am to 5 pm. Our information hotline is open to all refugees, as well as institutions and individuals assisting them, at +372 5881 1311 (Monday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm), and via email at counselling@pagulasabi.ee. Additionally, counselling services are available on Viber, WhatsApp, and Telegram at +372 5464 0007.
• We offer support person service to all beneficiaries of international protection and their family members in Estonia. Our support persons are assigned to those in need by local municipalities. The support person service is funded by the European Union's Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Ministry of the Interior. 
• We organise regular group activities and community events across Estonia. This year, nearly 3,000 people have participated in our community empowerment activities. In October, we focused on engaging elderly people in various areas. For example, in Tartu, we held a diamond painting workshop for older adults, and in Tallinn, we once again brought together young people and the elderly for an afternoon spent making sushi together. Community activities are supported by the UN Refugee Agency.

Georgia

• We launched a new Winterization Cash Assistance Programme designed to support Ukrainian refugees living in Georgia throughout the cold season. This programme aims to help meet essential winter expenses, providing crucial support to those in need. More info on Estonian Refugee Council´s website. The programme is supported by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Our Emergency Livelihoods Programme, designed to help Ukrainian refugees achieve long-term self-sufficiency, has entered a new phase. In Tbilisi and Batumi, 85 participants attended four comprehensive training sessions focused on entrepreneurship fundamentals and business plan development, addressing critical knowledge gaps. The next step involves selecting the final beneficiaries, based on their business plans, who will receive grants to turn their ideas into reality. The programme is supported by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Our work, together with local NGO MMRH, with community councils in Georgia continues to strengthen civil society, giving refugees and internally displaced persons a platform to make their voices heard. This month, council meetings were held online on October 19 and 23. During these sessions, members reviewed last month’s activities, addressed ongoing challenges, and began gathering initiatives for consideration. Two initiatives will be selected to receive specific funding, supporting projects that empower the community and drive meaningful change. The programme is supported by ESTDEV – the Estonian International Development Cooperation Centre.

Armenia 

• In Armenia, we are implementing an environmentally friendly agriculture programme designed to assist three schools in the rural Tavush region in adopting water- and energy-efficient agricultural solutions developed in Estonia. This initiative aims to alleviate water scarcity, promote climate change adaptation, and provide children with valuable environmental education. To facilitate this effort, a cooperation agreement has been signed on 21 October between the Estonian Refugee Council and the Estonian University of Life Sciences, enabling the transfer of Estonian expertise through consultancy and guidance on the installation and management of hydroponic greenhouses, composting, and energy-saving agricultural practices. The programme is supported by the Environmental Investment Centre.
• The Estonian Refugee Council has launched a women's livelihoods programme, aimed at providing sustainable livelihood opportunities for forcibly displaced women from Nagorno-Karabakh residing in the Lori region of Armenia. The project seeks to address the social and economic challenges these women face by supporting their income-generating ideas through entrepreneurial activities. 15 most viable entrepreneurship ideas will receive sub-awards of $1,500 each to kick-start their entrepreneurial ventures. The programme is funded by the US Embassy in Armenia.
• The project aiming to establish community councils and self-help groups for refugees, enabling those from Nagorno-Karabakh to represent their views and support their independent livelihoods, has been signed and is set to officially launch in November. Similar community councils that amplify the voices of people with refugee backgrounds are actively operating in both Estonia and Georgia.

Jordan

• In Jordan, our focus is on vulnerable female-led households. We are preparing for the next phase of the programme, where we will develop our training centre and provide training for 40 women, with support for 12 to establish hydroponic greenhouses on their own land. The greenhouses enable women to grow food for their own families or enhance their income by selling produce. Additionally, we will conduct hydroponics training for four female-led community organisations to increase knowledge of water-efficient agricultural methods in the entire region. The activities of the Estonian Refugee Council in Jordan are supported by ESTDEV – Estonian Centre for International Development. 

Lebanon

• In collaboration with the local organisation Nusaned, we are providing cash assistance to people in Lebanon who have fled their homes due to armed conflict, helping them meet their basic needs related to finding emergency shelter. Donations can be made through the Estonian Refugee Council's website to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon. The Estonian Refugee Council´s activities in Lebanon are funded by the Foreign Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia.