Despite the successful integration of refugees into public social services, supported by substantial EU funding, significant humanitarian needs persist. These challenges are primarily driven by the worsening socio-economic conditions in the country, including high levels of inflation as well as deteriorating social acceptance by the host community

The February earthquakes in 2023, causing over 50,000 deaths and over 107,000 injuries with massive destruction and suffering in southeast Türkiye, created further challenges for already vulnerable refugees and the Turkish population.

Following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, expectations grew that Syrian refugees would begin returning to their homeland. However, the ongoing challenges of inadequate infrastructure, housing shortages, limited access to education, and scarce job opportunities have hindered the return of refugees from Türkiye.

In close cooperation with Turkish authorities, the EU continues to assist the most vulnerable people in Türkiye based on their humanitarian needs. Since 2015, the EU has supported nearly 100 humanitarian projects and contracted with over 21 partner organisations.

What are the needs?

Türkiye hosts around 2,9 million Syrian refugees with most of them facing challenging and often precarious circumstances.

The country is striving to ensure registered refugees have access to essential rights and services, such as education and healthcare. However, the depreciation of the Turkish lira and soaring inflation have further exacerbated the already challenging living conditions for refugees. Rising anti-refugee rhetoric is another key factor.

Some refugees feel they have no choice but to resort to negative coping mechanisms, such as child labour, street begging, or child marriage. Many families reduce their food consumption or live in substandard housing.

Around 50 percent of the registered Syrian refugees reside in the areas affected by the devastating earthquake of 2023. Most of them live in temporary accommodation sites managed by the governmental and local authorities. 

The humanitarian needs of refugees living in precarious conditions remain high, especially in the earthquake-affected areas. Key priorities include:

• Protection support including case management, legal aid, psychosocial support,
• Support out-of-school children with enrollment including cash support for education,
• Multi-purpose cash assistance to cover refugees/migrants’ essential needs, notably in the earthquake-affected area,
• Improvement of sanitation and shelter conditions in the earthquake-affected area,
• Specialised health services for people with disabilities.

How are we helping?

Earthquakes

Following the devastating earthquakes, the EU mobilised €78.2 million of the EU’s humanitarian funding in Türkiye, which was delivered through the EU’s humanitarian partner organisations. After the earthquake, 1,750 rescuers and 111 search dogs were immediately deployed via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and many European countries delivered humanitarian support to the earthquake-affected areas.

EUROPEAN UNION, 2024

EU humanitarian work in the country

In close coordination with the Turkish authorities, the EU continues to fund humanitarian projects in Türkiye to provide vulnerable refugees and their host communities with the essential support they need. They also address various protection issues, including legal counselling, psychosocial support, access to education, civil documentation, and specialised services. Since 2012, the EU has allocated €3.486 billion in humanitarian funding.

Between 2016-2023, the EU’s single largest humanitarian programme in its history, the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) has provided 80 months of uninterrupted cash assistance to 1.5 million refugees in Türkiye with a budget of more than €2.3 billion. Another programme titled the Conditional Cash Transfer for Education (CCTE) has supported over 800,000 children between 2017-2022. The major humanitarian cash programmes have been successfully handed over to development actors in the spirit of NEXUS.

In line with the recommendations of the Grand Bargain, the LIFT project (now called CLIP) was successfully established as a pool funding mechanism in 2018. It supports small and medium-sized local initiatives to access international funding. The project has provided valuable support to refugees in need of humanitarian assistance in the protection sector, reaching out the extra mile to support underserved refugees.

The CLIP project was also mobilised for the earthquake response through its local partners who acted as a first responder after the earthquakes with in-kind distribution to the earthquake survivors and Search and Rescue Teams.

Through our international and local partners, we are also supporting:

• Continuous registration,
• Identification of persons with specific needs and their referral to the specialized services,
• Specialised protection services including cash for protection,
• Legal assistance,
• Support to out-of-school children for school enrollment,
• Multi-purpose cash assistance to cover basic needs, especially in the earthquake-affected area, 
• Improvement of WASH facilities and shelter conditions in the earthquake-affected area. 

Türkiye has also been a participating state of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism since 2016 Established in 2001, the Mechanism aims to strengthen the cooperation between the EU Member States and participating states on civil protection to improve prevention, preparedness, and disaster response.

Facts & figures

3.1 million refugees in Türkiye. (Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Türkiye)

EU humanitarian funding in Türkiye:

€3.486 billion from 2012 to 2024, including €78.2 million for the earthquake response.

€26 million in 2024