Page 120 - Syrians in Türkiye - Special Report

GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TÜRKİYE THE OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTION

the most basic humanitarian aid materials such as hot meals, water, infant formula,
hygiene kits, and so on for Syrians gathered behind barbed wire at the Turkish-Syrian
border.

In the following periods, new camps were established with the support of AFAD and
other governmental institutions, and the management of the camps is still provided by
AFAD.

The Turkish Red Crescent first initiated the distribution of hot meals and other
humanitarian supplies in the camps (clothing, blankets, hygiene materials, etc.); in the
following years, cooperation with the United Nations World Food Program (WFP)
and UNICEF has increased.

As the population living outside the camps has exceeded the number living in the camps
due to the changing conditions of the crisis over time, the development of services and
assistance to the Syrian population outside of camps has become a necessity. Within
this scope, international funding support and Turkish Red Crescent programs, the
Child Protection Project, and the Community Centers Project began.

As a new element of the Red Crescent program, cash support is provided to Syrians
under the name of “Social Integration Aid.”

Within the scope of the Community Centers Project, 10 community centers are
operating as of June 2017 and 5 more community centers are slated to be opened in 2017
and 2018 with the support of the European Union’s MADAD fund. The Community
Centers project provides services and support for Turkish citizens, citizens of the Syrian
Arab Republic, and immigrants from other countries.

In addition, the Turkish Red Crescent Border Assistance Activity was launched in
August 212 through a joint initiative of AFAD and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This consists of sending of humanitarian aid materials (food and non-food materials)
with great care and inspection in the framework of requests received by Syria without
violating the border rights of Syria. The current value of hospitality, education, logistics,
healthcare, water-sanitation-hygiene, and food materials provided with the aid of
Turkish Red Crescent to Syria is approximately 2.16 billion TL.

Due to the vital importance of border aid and the demonstrated success of the
Turkish Red Crescent, the United Nations Humanitarian Aid Coordination Office
(UNOCHA) provided direct funding for this activity in 2016 and 2017.

120 SYRIANS IN TÜRKİYE SPECIAL REPORT