Lebanon remains one of the largest refugee-hosting countries in the world, sheltering approximately 1.5 million Syrians and around 200,000 Palestinian refugees. According to the World Bank, 44% of the Lebanese population lives in poverty, and hyperinflation has made basic goods and services unaffordable for many. Refugees are among the most severely affected, with 90% relying on humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs.

Refugees and vulnerable communities in Lebanon face many challenges. Rising costs and widespread poverty make basic goods and services hard to afford, while access to safe housing, healthcare, and income opportunities is limited. As a result, many families rely heavily on humanitarian support to meet their essential needs and regain stability.

Estonian Refugee Council has been working in Lebanon since 2018, supporting crisis-affected people with urgently needed emergency response initiatives as well as supporting their long-term recovery. 

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Woman and baked goods

Overview of the Estonian Refugee Council's Activities in August

We are raising donations in Estonia to ensure daily meals in two hospitals in Gaza City. With the support of Estonian donors, we can provide essential food aid…
Gaza

Estonian Refugee Council begins providing food aid in Gaza and calls on Estonians to donate

Estonian Refugee Council begins providing food aid in the Gaza Strip to support local hospitals and ensure daily meals for both patients and healthcare workers…
In-person registration in Zaporizhzhia oblast

Rapid Response in Zaporizhzhia Oblast: Supporting Communities Amid Crisis

In early August, the Estonian Refugee Council (ERC) team deployed to Zaporizhzhia oblast to deliver urgently needed assistance to residents of Bilenke, a…
Women chatting

Estonian Refugee Council Appointed Official Charity Partner of the British-Estonian Chamber of Commerce 2025

The Estonian Refugee Council has been chosen as the official charity partner of the British-Estonian Chamber of Commerce (BECC) for 2025, supporting the…
Alina, participant of the programme, shows ERC team a pasture

“If It Weren’t for the Animals, I Don’t Know What We’d Do”: How One Family in Kharkiv Oblast Is Rebuilding Life Through Livelihood Support

In the fields just beyond Barvinkove, a small town in Kharkiv oblast, the late-summer sun shines over quiet pastures. From a distance, the scene looks peaceful…
people

AI training for refugee-background youth starts again this September

Registration is now open for the entrepreneurship training programme Start Smart, organised within the framework of the employment programme UPBEAT. The…
Євгеній та його пасіка

How ERC’s Assistance Helps to Rebuild Rural Livelihoods in Ukraine

“When I found out I had received the funding, it gave me a real boost. It renewed my motivation to keep going with beekeeping,” says Yevhen, a lifelong…
ERC logo

The Estonian Refugee Council received the European Commission’s highest-level humanitarian partnership certificate

The Estonian Refugee Council has become the only humanitarian organisation in the Baltic States and Poland to hold the European Commission’s Directorate…
Women discussing

Overview of the Estonian Refugee Council's Activities in July

On 8 and 9 August, the Opinion Festival took place in Paide, where we, together with the Estonian Human Rights Centre and the Office of the Gender Equality and…
Olena Barvinkove

Resilience Amid War: Olena’s Story of Rebuilding Life and Livelihood in Kharkiv Oblast

In the small city of Barvinkove, Kharkiv oblast, Olena and her family are rebuilding not just their farm, but their future—against the backdrop of war.
Women standing in a hydroponic greenhouse

The Estonian Refugee Council supports the self-sufficiency of women who have fled from Syria to Jordan

The Estonian Refugee Council supports the self-sufficiency of women-led households in vulnerable situations in Jordan through a training programme that…
People discussing

Estonian Refugee Council is hosting a discussion on racism at the Opinion Festival and joining the debate on humanitarian aid funding

The Estonian Refugee Council, Estonian Human Rights Centre and the Office of the Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner invite everyone to join…