Syrian women's art on show in Istanbul subway station

In the Umudun Renkleri initiative, 12 Syrian women learned techniques from Turkish artists to create works reflecting their experiences fleeing the war in Syria. Their art has already been exhibited in Ankara and now comes to Istanbul where it will be displayed until 12 December. “Producing this art helped me come to terms with the past and to move on from those experiences,” said Salha, one of the women involved in the Umudun Renkleri project, which seeks to foster better understanding of the refugee community in Türkiye. The initiative uses art as a way to help refugees cope with their experiences and was carried out under the EU-funded Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) cash assistance programme, implemented by the UN World Food Programme, the Turkish Red Crescent and the Turkish Government. “The works on display here offer a window onto the emotional journey that these women have undertaken since becoming refugees,” said Nils Grede, WFP representative in Türkiye. “The fact that they were even able to take part in this project shows that, with the help of all of us, they have regained a certain stability in their lives.” Some 1.5 million refugees currently supported by the ESSN programme receive 120 TL for each family member every month on a special debit card to withdraw cash or purchase items in shops, like any other debit card. All of the artists said that receiving cash assistance through ESSN had helped them significantly to adjust to their life in Türkiye. ‘’The assistance programme that we implement with the ESSN card (Kızılaykart) preserves the dignity of people in need and has become a pilot project in the world,” said Turkish Red Crescent Deputy Director General Alper Küçük. “Refugees have the freedom to buy what they need. The happiness of a mother who has a chance to cook what her children want to eat at dinner cannot be described.” Families usually spend the ESSN money on a range of basic needs, including rent, food, medicines and school equipment for children. This approach also benefits the local economy. “With nearly €1 billion in EU funding, the Emergency Social Safety Net is improving lives of the refugees and their host communities in Turkiye,” said Claudia Amaral, the Head of the EU’s Humanitarian Office in Ankara. “By covering the basic needs of the refugees, ESSN programme improves the living conditions of the refugees in Türkiye and allows them to also engage in social activities.” The ESSN is the largest humanitarian project funded by the EU in terms of the number of people it supports and the scale of the EU's contribution. The European Union has so far channeled approximately $US1.2 billion into the ESSN programme in Türkiye. # # # The United Nations World Food Programme - saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development. WFP works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future. The European Union and its Member States are the world’s leading donor of humanitarian aid. Through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department (ECHO), the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the department provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs. Follow us on Twitter: @wfp_media or @wfp_mena @eu_echo or @ECHO_Turkey