More than three years into the full-scale war, the humanitarian needs in Ukraine remain staggering. Since February 24, 2022, millions of Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes, resulting in the largest displacement of people in Europe since World War II. As of 2025, an estimated 12.7 million people across the country require humanitarian assistance. Around 3.7 million people are still displaced within Ukraine, and a further 6.7 million have sought refuge abroad — including 6.2 million now living in countries across Europe.

Behind these figures are families separated, communities uprooted, and lives disrupted. Many people continue to live close to active hostilities, where safety is fragile and access to essentials like clean water, food, electricity, or medical care can be limited or unpredictable. Even in parts of the country further from the fighting, life is far from normal. Displaced people face the challenge of starting over in unfamiliar places, often with limited resources. 

We have supported the war-affected people in Ukraine since 2014. As the situation evolves, so does our response. We continue to adapt our programmes to meet people’s most urgent needs, helping people stay safe, regain stability, and rebuild their lives.

"I’m not going to leave all this behind.”

“It’s not easy to live here under these circumstances but I cannot imagine myself elsewhere. I love my cows and the fruit trees I’ve planted in my garden. I’m grateful for the timely and efficient support ERC provided to me. Every day I do my best to keep the household running. I’m not going to leave all this behind.”

- Olena, a farmer from Dnipropetrovsk region

Olena from Dnipropetrovsk region

Our response

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Discover the services we offer to support people affected by the war in Ukraine.

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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…