Refugees in Turkey
(BRUSSELS) – The EU announced Thursday the largest ever EU humanitarian aid programme, signing a contract with the World Food Programme to provide EUR 348 million in aid for Syrian refugees in Turkey.
The Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN), financed by the EU and its Member States under the Facility for Refugees in Turkey, is the first social assistance scheme of its kind, marrying international humanitarian know-how and government services to reach out to one million refugees across Turkey.
“The unprecedented scale of the ESSN will make a significant difference in the lives of men, women and children who have had to flee conflict and violence”, said the EU’s Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides. “Together with the World Food Programme and our Turkish partners we have developed an innovative system that can deliver what people need, where it is needed most, and in the most effective way possible. Through the ESSN, our contribution will be more effectively directed to vulnerable refugees. This is a game changer in the delivery of international humanitarian aid.”
From October, monthly cash-transfers to electronic cards will be given to refugees in need across Turkey. The Commission says the cash card is an efficient way to support families to purchase what they most need, providing them the dignity of choice. Refugees will be enabled to feed and house their families and to send their children to school. As the money will be spent in local markets, the new system will also boost the local economy.
The humanitarian aid will reach one million refugees countrywide by the first quarter of 2017.
The programme has been developed and implemented in close partnership with the Turkish Red Crescent, building on existing voucher schemes.
Turkey is currently host to over 3 million refugees. More than 90 per cent of them are living outside refugee camps.
The ESSN is part of the 3 billion made available by the EU and its Member States under the “Facility for Refugees in Turkey” in 2016-2017 to provide assistance to refugees and host communities in Turkey. It is designed to ensure that the needs of the most vulnerable are addressed in a comprehensive and coordinated manner.
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