The European Commission has announced €1.41bn in assistance measures for refugee support in Turkey, which hosts the world’s largest refugee population.
The funding, to be deployed as part of the EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey, will form part of the facility’s second tranche of humanitarian aid in the region; bringing the total funding allocation for refugee support in Turkey to €5.6bn of the total €6bn which has been made available through the facility – the remaining €400m will be allocated later this summer. The EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey was established in 2015, at the height of the migrant crisis, to provide dedicated financial support and humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees living in Turkey, as well as supporting host communities and alleviating the increased pressure on infrastructure and facilities caused by the influx of refugees in the region.
The new allocation of funding will focus on shoring up long term refugee support in Turkey, with particular emphasis on ensuring programmes provided through the facility are sustainable and inclusive. Funding will be directed towards the health sector, protection and socioeconomic support for vulnerable refugee communities and municipal infrastructure maintenance; prioritising helping refugee populations to become self-reliant beyond the support offered through the facility. The EU’s latest annual report on the efficacy of the facility, released in April 2019, praised the largely positive results of humanitarian assistance in the region.
Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, said: “With this new allocation of funds, the European Union continues to deliver on its commitment to support Turkey in hosting the largest group of refugees in the world. Our assistance will focus on healthcare and protection services to refugees and increase the resilience and self-reliance of refugees and host communities through socioeconomic support. In addition, we will support municipal infrastructure in provinces with a high number of refugees.”
