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Cash in Türkiye
Learning from the Turkish Red Crescent’s comprehensive humanitarian cash programmes in Türkiye
The Turkish Red Crescent (Türk Kızılay) has been at the forefront of large-scale humanitarian cash programming for the last decade. Its sector-leading Kızılaykart Platform enables simultaneous implementation of multiple cash assistance programmes, through the ‘Kızılaykart’ (debit card).
A series of cash assistance programmes are currently supporting vulnerable adults and children living under Temporary Protection, International Protection (applicant status and status holder) or Humanitarian Residence Permit in Türkiye, along with those affected by the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes.
Find further information and resources on the Kızılaykart cash-based assistance programmes here: (EN) (TR)
From 2020 to 2023 the Turkish Red Crescent and the IFRC, with funding from the European Union, implemented the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) – which was the largest humanitarian cash programme in the world.
Via the ESSN, more than 1.5 million refugees living in Türkiye received regular monthly cash assistance, enabling people to decide for themselves how to cover their essential needs such as food, rent, medicine, transport and other bills. In 2023 the programme was handed over to the Turkish Ministry of Family and Social Services, who continue implementing the now renamed Social Safety Net (SSN) programme in partnership with the Turkish Red Crescent.
Click here to access the IFRC Go Platform Dashboard for Turkiye
ESSN Learning Exchange
In December 2023 the IFRC and Türk Kızılay organised an Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) Learning Exchange event, with the support of the Cash Hub. The event, held in-person in Ankara and attended by remote participants online, was a part of proceedings marking the formal conclusion and handover of the ESSN.
The overall aim of the Learning Exchange was to use experience from ESSN implementation to contribute to the broader body of knowledge on humanitarian emergency cash and social protection programming.
Key sessions looked at the ESSN journey since its inception in 2016; community engagement and accountability (CEA) in large-scale CVA programming; innovative uses of data supporting ESSN design and implementation; programme adaptability and shock responsiveness; the value of positive campaigning via lessons from the ESSN’s unique story telling project; and at enablers for the successful implementation of a large-scale nexus programme.
Find out more here
ESSN Learning Hub: all the key resources produced by Türk Kızılay and the IFRC
ESSN monthly reports: key programmatic highlights
Kahramanmaraş Earthquake response: Find the latest resources
After the earthquake: Rapid Market Mapping and Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) analysis
20 February 2023
Shaken to the Core: Assessing the impact of the earthquake on ESSN and C-ESSN recipients
Type:
ReportOrganization:
IFRC, Turkish Red Crescent (Türk Kızılay)This report provides an overview of the impact of the February 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquake on ESSN and C-ESSN Recipients and offers a roadmap for cash assistance implementation
17 November 2022
Linkages between humanitarian cash assistance and social protection: Lessons learnt from the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) in Türkiye
Type:
LearningOrganization:
IFRC, Turkish Red Crescent (Türk Kızılay)This report summarises key lessons learnt from the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) programme in Türkiye, focusing on the linkages the programme makes between government’s social protection and Movement humanitarian…
17 November 2022
Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN): Social assistance for refugees in Türkiye
Type:
LearningOrganization:
Turkish Red Crescent (Türk Kızılay)This fact sheet provides an overview on the implementation of the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) programme for social assistance to refugees in Türkiye since its inception
13 April 2022
Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) Satisfaction and Feedback Survey Results Report
Type:
ReportOrganization:
Turkish Red Crescent (Türk Kızılay), Turkish Red Crescent SocietyThe ESSN Satisfaction and Feedback Survey conducted in April 2021 to understand the level of satisfaction among applicants with various stages and components of the ESSN programme.
1 October 2021
ESSN Post Distribution Monitoring 11
Type:
post distribution monitoringOrganization:
IFRC, Turkish Red Crescent (Türk Kızılay)The study showed that non-recipient households were better in terms of having higher income and lower in LSCI and RCSI scores than PDM 10 compared with ESSN recipient households, who relied on coping strategies more than before. The Food Consumption Score also deteriorated more for ESSN recipients more than non-recipients, even though the level of expenditure on food was higher.
15 August 2021
Impact of Covid-19 on the daily life of refugees in Turkey: a remote Focus Group Discussion report
Type:
ReportOrganization:
IFRC, Turkish Red Crescent (Türk Kızılay)With the aim of understanding the overall impact of COVID-19 on the ESSN applicants’ lives, this report explores the changing trends in people’s employment, income and livelihoods as well as their social relations and coping strategies as a result of the implications born of the pandemic.
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