In recent years, the situation for LGBT people across Eastern Europe and Central Asia has become increasingly unstable. Discriminatory laws are being adopted in different countries, pressure on LGBT communities and organisations is intensifying, and risks for activists, human rights defenders, and community leaders are growing.
For regional organisations, supporting communities often means working with organisations and grassroots groups: strengthening their capacity, funding projects, and providing advocacy and technical support. However, developments across the region increasingly point to another equally important need — the need to provide rapid support to individuals facing a crisis or an immediate threat to their safety.
Sometimes a person needs to urgently leave a country or city. Sometimes they need safe temporary accommodation or access to legal or psychological support. In other cases, emergency assistance can help someone get through a period of acute crisis, recover, and regain the ability to plan for their future.
This is why, for several years, ECOM has been looking for opportunities to fund emergency assistance. At different times, we have been able to establish emergency support programmes through various projects and with the support of donors.
In 2025 alone, ECOM received 177 requests for emergency assistance and relocation from activists and community leaders. 56 people received direct support, including safe accommodation, relocation, and legal and psychological assistance.
Behind these numbers are people and situations where timely support can make a profound difference.
The opportunity to step away from immediate danger
One of the people who received support is Daniel, a trans activist and director of a trans-led organisation in Georgia.
In 2024, the situation became increasingly dangerous for him. Following the adoption of anti-LGBT legislation, hostile rhetoric towards the community intensified, far-right groups became more active, and pressure on human rights defenders increased. As a visible trans activist, he faced harassment and threats. His organisation’s office was attacked twice.
In this situation, ECOM helped cover his flight and temporary accommodation, allowing Daniel to leave the country during a period of heightened risk.
Temporary relocation did not solve all of the problems — the situation in Georgia continued to deteriorate in the years that followed. But being able to step away from immediate danger gave him time to stabilise, recover, and consider how to continue his work in a changing environment.
“Without this help, I wouldn’t have been able to step away from immediate danger, prevent complete burnout, and regain the strength I needed to continue fighting for LGBTQI rights.”
The opportunity to start life in a new country
For another recipient of support — queer musician, activist, and trans educator Dari Xtrem — emergency assistance became necessary after she had already left the country.
After obtaining a humanitarian visa for France, she was able to leave an unsafe environment, but she did not have enough money to cover her first month in the country. By the time she requested assistance, she had already had to borrow money to pay for her flight.
ECOM provided financial support that covered her accommodation and food for the first month after her relocation.
During that time, she was able to apply for asylum, obtain the necessary documents, establish contacts with LGBT organisations, and secure temporary social housing.
“This money helped me get back on my feet in a new country. I arrived without knowing the language or anyone there, while also supporting two other trans girls who had travelled with me.”
The opportunity to move from survival to planning for the future
Another story is that of an activist and human rights defender from Central Asia whose country cannot be disclosed for security reasons.
Because of their work defending human rights and supporting LGBT people and other vulnerable groups, they faced growing pressure, fear, and instability. The situation became particularly acute during a period of intensified security checks and raids, when there were risks of persecution, phone checks, and the disclosure of sensitive personal information.
An ECOM emergency grant helped them begin preparing for a safe relocation, covering transportation, temporary accommodation, and other urgent needs.
But for this recipient, the support was about more than financial assistance.
“ECOM’s support gave me a chance to overcome fear and isolation and find safety, stability, and an opportunity to rebuild my future in another country.”
Emergency support is not always available — but the need remains
This is why ECOM has made emergency assistance a distinct area of its work. In the current context, it is important to support not only organisations, but also individual activists and community leaders who find themselves in a crisis situation.
“Organisations can close down or change their names, but it is people who carry the memory of a community, the trust, and years of relationships they have built. We wanted to support those who make the work of organisations possible — people without whom it is impossible to imagine the LGBTQI community — those who have worked for the benefit of others for years and now find themselves in need of support themselves. And most of the requests come from people who have found themselves in situations where they see no way out,” says Jipariza, ECOM’s Advocacy Coordinator.
ECOM’s emergency assistance programmes are not a permanent service with unlimited resources. Our ability to provide this support depends on funding that we are able to secure through different projects and with the support of donors.
“Securing funding for programmes like these has become increasingly difficult in recent years. But for ECOM, it is especially important, in the most difficult moments for our communities and taking into account our regional context, to show activists that their work is valued and that they are not alone. There are programmes that support human rights defenders more broadly, but our fund is specifically focused on supporting LGBT activists and human rights defenders. Unfortunately, we cannot support everyone, but we continue to look for funding so that we can help those who genuinely need it,” emphasises ECOM’s Advocacy Coordinator.
Emergency support is primarily intended for activists, community leaders, and human rights defenders facing a crisis or an unsafe situation. Each request is assessed individually according to the programme’s criteria, the urgency of the situation, and the resources available.
We understand that the need for this kind of support far exceeds the capacity of existing emergency funds. We would like to be able to support every community member facing a difficult situation, but emergency assistance resources are always limited.
That is why we continue to look for opportunities to secure funding.
Because behind every request there may be a person who needs to reach a safe place, cover the cost of travel, receive legal advice, access psychological support, or simply have enough time to step out of a state of constant fear and figure out what to do next.
As pressure on LGBT communities and human rights defenders across the region continues to grow, timely and flexible support remains essential.
In 2026, ECOM continues to provide emergency assistance to activists, community leaders, and human rights defenders whenever we are able to secure the resources needed to do so.
We will continue looking for opportunities to provide this support because we know that, sometimes, timely assistance at a critical moment can give a person the opportunity to stay safe, recover, and continue their work.