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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
9 August 2018
The Facility for Refugees in Turkey: helpful support, but improvements needed to deliver more value for money
Type:
EvaluationOrganization:
European Court of AuditorsThe scope of the audit was to assess the management of the Facility and the results achieved so far. The audit covered the period from the establishment of the Facility until 31 March 2018. The main audit question was: ‘Is the Facility for Refugees in Turkey effectively supporting refugees in Turkey?’.
23 July 2018
Emergency Social Safety Net Post-Distribution Monitoring Report – Round 1
Type:
ReportOrganization:
Turkish Red Crescent (Türk Kızılay), WFP, World BankThis report provides an assessment of the initial effects of the ESSN assistance on beneficiary households, using data of refugees living off-camp before and after receiving ESSN cash assistance. The results presented here are preliminary, and provide only a snapshot of the results from two surveys: Pre-Assistance Baseline (PAB) and Post-Distribution Monitoring (PDM).
21 July 2018
Social Cohesion in Turkey: Refugee and host community online survey, rounds 1-2-3
Type:
ResearchOrganization:
ECHO, Turkish Red Crescent (Türk Kızılay), WFPWFP conducted three rounds of the online social cohesion survey in July/August 2007, October 2007, and January 2018. This report has drawn upon the data from all three survey rounds. Three regions of the country – Istanbul, Southeast, and Aegean/Central Anatolia – were selected for comparison purposes. A total of 6,142 participants completed the online surveys.
18 April 2018
Multi Sector Needs Assessment of Syrians In Turkey’s South-Eastern Provinces
Type:
ReportOrganization:
IOMIn 2017, the International Organization of Migration (IOM) office in Gaziantep, Turkey undertook a multisector needs assessment survey of 19,454 Syrian refugee households (over 100,000 beneficiaries) across four south-eastern provinces: Adıyaman, Gaziantep, Hatay and Şanlıurfa. The assessment included questions related to basic needs, education, livelihoods, protection and shelter.
22 December 2017
Social Cohesion in Turkey: Refugee and Host Community Online Survey – Round 1
Type:
AnnouncementOrganization:
WFPThe current social cohesion perception survey takes place within the monitoring framework of the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) programme. Three rounds of an online survey are included in the online social cohesion monitoring plan: Q2 2017 (July/August), Q3 2017 (October) and Q1 2018 (January). The data analysed in this report was collected in the first round of the survey, from 24 July to 18 August 2017.
30 November 2017
Refugee, Asylum-seeker, and Migrant Perceptions on Cash Assistance – Cash transfer survey
Type:
ReportOrganization:
Ground Truth Solutions, Mixed Migration PlatformThis report analyses the views of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants surveyed in Istanbul, Gaziantep, and Izmir, Turkey between 29 September and 18 October 2017. The surveys focused specifically on cash and voucher assistance programmes and are part of a series of data collection rounds carried out by Ground Truth Solutions in Turkey, under the Mixed Migration Platform.
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