Türkiye

Türkiye is among the leading refugee-hosting countries in the world, with over 3 million people seeking shelter. Half of these are children. Most live in cities and villages throughout the country.  
 
The Government of Türkiye operates seven camps in the southeast of the country, which host over 66,600 refugees. The World Food Programme (WFP) assists over 35,000 of the most vulnerable refugees with monthly e-vouchers and cash transfers to help them meet their food needs.

Following the devastating earthquakes of February 2023, WFP reached 1.6 million people in the southeastern part of Türkiye with emergency food assistance. Once markets became functional again, an additional 600,000 earthquake-affected people received cash assistance to meet their basic needs. 

As the food security situation stabilized WFP began focusing efforts on the earthquake-affected region to restore and revitalise the local food value chain through strategic investments in small food businesses with the aim of sustaining food security. 

Türkiye is of critical strategic importance to WFP’s global operations, given the country’s role in WFP’s procurement of food commodities and food transport corridors from the Black Sea and into Syria. WFP is exploring expanding its grain reserve and milling potential in the country, while making use of Türkiye’s well-developed infrastructure. 

WFP also seeks to buy food and other products locally, where possible – an approach that supports farmers, boosts agricultural incomes, expands land use and generates employment.