As a significant milestone in its commitment to humanitarian aid, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) concluded the implementation of the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) Programme and handed it over to the Ministry of Family and Social Services (MoFSS) of the Republic of Türkiye alongside Türk Kızılay who will continue to be the implementing partner, with the financial support of the European Union (EU).

To mark this pivotal moment, the IFRC hosted an event on 6  December 2023 that included a photo exhibition at The Ankara Hotel, with the presence of the Head of Unit for Southeast Europe and Eastern Neighbourhood for the EU’s Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) Juha Auvinen and the Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the EU to Türkiye Odoardo Como.

The IFRC was represented by Regional Director for the Europe and Central Asia Office Birgitte Bischoff Ebbesen, the Republic of Türkiye’s Ministry of Family and Social Services by its Director General Adil Çalışkan and Türk Kızılay by its Director General for International Affairs and Migration Services Alper Küçük.

“This programme has successfully provided monthly cash assistance to more than 1.5 million vulnerable refugees in Türkiye,” said Jessie Thomson, IFRC Türkiye’s Head of Delegation. “Today, we proudly hand over the programme to the capable hands of the Republic of Türkiye’s Ministry of Family and Social Services and Türk Kızılay. We are thrilled to see this vital programme continue in support of the most vulnerable refugees in Türkiye for the years to come.” 

“The first step towards the great goals we all aspire to, such as sustainable development and lasting peace, is to empower individuals in need of protection. This is our perspective as Turkish people and the policy we wish to convey to the international community,” said Adil Çalışkan, MoFSS Director General. “With this will, I believe that the ESSN Programme, which we have been implementing since 2016 will continue being one of the best practices of humanitarian assistance in the world following this new milestone.”

Since 2020, the partnership between the IFRC and Türk Kızılay, together with the Republic of Türkiye’s Ministry of Family and Social Services, had been leading on this EU-funded cash programme, which provided cash assistance to more than 1.5 million refugees in Türkiye on monthly basis via the KIZILAYKART debit card, with the specific objective of stabilizing and improving the living standards of the most vulnerable households.

"Türk Kızılay assumes a crucial role as a bridge that connects Türkiye's social assistance network to the extensive international assistance framework, said Alper Küçük, Türk Kızılay’s Director General for International Affairs and Migration Services. “Positioned centrally, the organization actively facilitates the exchange and coordination of resources, information, and expertise between national and international domains. Serving as a vital nexus, it plays a pivotal role in integrating humanitarian efforts across local, regional and global scales, thereby enhancing the overall effectiveness of social assistance initiatives."

The ESSN Programme in Türkiye, also known as the largest humanitarian cash programme in the history of the EU, was first implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP) and Türk Kızılay in 2016, in partnership with the Republic of Türkiye’s Ministry of Family and Social Services, funded by DG ECHO. This financial support was crucial in increasing the economic resilience of the refugee population while enabling them to meet their most essential needs.

“In 2016, we faced an unprecedented refugee crisis. Through the ESSN, we demonstrated that the EU, Türkiye and international humanitarian organizations could work together to create a unique humanitarian programme, which brought relief to millions of refugees,” explained Juha Auvinen, Head of Unit for Southeast Europe of the EU’s Humanitarian Aid Operations.”

The Ministry of Family and Social Services, as the main applicant with Türk Kızılay as the co-applicant, have taken over the implementation of this programme since August 2023, and will continue serving millions of vulnerable refugees in Türkiye with the financial support of the Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) under the ministry’s collective Social Safety Net Programme (SSN).

Event Details

Date: 6 December 2023

Location: The Ankara Hotel

Celal Bayar Blv., No: 78, Çankaya, Ankara  

Time: 15:00 - 17:00

Background: 

The ESSN Programme enabled refugee families to decide for themselves how to cover what they needed the most with dignity, while contributing to the local Turkish economy. Refugee families were receiving 300 Turkish Liras monthly per person with additional top-ups based on family size and emergencies like the latest Türkiye-Syria earthquakes.

European Union (EU): Whenever there is a disaster or a humanitarian emergency, the European Union (EU) helps affected countries and populations around the world respond to the consequences. The EU has been funding humanitarian projects in Türkiye to help vulnerable refugees and their host communities, in coordination with the Government of Türkiye.   

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network and membership organization, that serves around 160 million people through the work of 190 Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies, with around 14 million volunteers. The IFRC acts before, during and after disasters to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable communities. The IFRC has been leading large-scale cash programmes for decades in response to a broad spectrum of disasters and emergencies around the globe. The IFRC first established a legal presence in Türkiye in 1994 and has been working closely with the Türk Kızılay in its various nationwide responses. Since 2020, it partnered with Türk Kızılay to implement the ESSN, and today it remains active to support the Turkish National Society with its projects and activities, especially those pertaining to the February 6 earthquakes.

Türk Kızılay is the largest humanitarian organization in Türkiye, mandated by the Turkish government since its establishment in 1868 to help vulnerable people and assist crisis-affected communities both inside and outside of Türkiye. It is recognized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as part of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement and is also a member of the IFRC since 1930. Since 2012, as part of the humanitarian response to the Syrian crisis, Türk Kızılay has been providing a first-line response to the refugee influx, supporting millions of people in camps and urban settings. Türk Kızılay is the implementing partner for the ESSN Programme in Türkiye since its launch in 2016, and is currently leading several projects, including cash assistance initiatives and activities across the country to reach people in need, especially those affected by the latest February 6 earthquakes.