European Union Funds Assistance Through WFP To Assist One Million Refugees In Türkiye

ROME – “The Emergency Social Safety Net is an exciting step forward. Türkiye has robust and well-functioning markets, so it makes sense to give cash that refugees can use to pay for food, rent and medicine, enable children to go to school rather than to work, and buy warm clothes as winter approaches.

“This €348 million will make a major difference to the lives of one million people. It will lessen the suffering but also restore some normality to children, women and men whose lives have been turned upside down by conflict and displacement.

“With support from the European Union and its member states, we will help the most vulnerable as they make crucial, everyday life decisions.

“This partnership with the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) shows what can be achieved when we all pull together. WFP and the Turkish Red Crescent will use their combined expertise to deliver European cash directly to those who need it most.

“We will work closely with the Government of Türkiye, and the money spent by the refugees will go directly into local economies, giving a boost to communities so generously hosting refugees. WFP has been working in Türkiye since 2012, supporting the government to bring vital help to Syrian refugees. We now look forward to growing our already excellent ties with the Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) and the Ministry of Family and Social Policies, as the ESSN rolls out to reach more vulnerable people.”

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WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries.

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For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):

Jonny Hogg, WFP/Ankara, Mob. +90 536 866 66 77

Jane Howard, WFP/Rome, Tel. +39 06 65132321, Mob. +39 346 7600521

Bettina Luescher, WFP/Geneva, Tel. +41 22 917 8564, Mob. + 41 79 842 8057

Gregory Barrow, WFP/London, Tel.  +44 20 72409001, Mob.  +44 7968 008474

Gerald Bourke, WFP/New York, Tel. +1 646 5566909, Mob.  +1 646 525 9982

Steve Taravella, WFP/Washington DC, Tel. +1 202 6531149, Mob. +1 202 7705993