Opening of a photo exhibition on the ESSN Project #INCREDIBLE-ORDINARY

14.02.2020

An EU-WFP Partnership that alleviates suffering of vulnerable refugees in Turkey and restores their dignity

Representatives of the EU Institutions and of the WFP came together with experts from the field and the Academia to open a photo exhibit celebrating the progress of the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) since its launch in 2016. The ESSN is the largest EU humanitarian programme ever, reaching today around 1.7 million refugees in Turkey. It is centred on cash-based assistance delivered to the most vulnerable, especially families through monthly transfers. The ESSN funding is made up of contributions from the EU budget and from Member States, and its budget amounts to more than EUR 1.7 billion within the wider “Turkey Facility” fund (EUR 6 billion in assistance to Turkey for the support and implementation of crucial State functions, running through 2025).  Families receive €19/month per member and they are given a debit card they can use to withdraw cash or make payments with. This grants refugee families an increased degree of independence and widens their educational and occupational perspectives. Turkey currently hosts the highest number of refugees of any country worldwide (four million). Ninety-eight percent of refugees in Turkey live in urban contexts rather than camps. This means that although it is much harder to reach them and deliver assistance, if financially empowered to do so, they have easier access to local businesses and shops. With the crucial collaboration of its implementing partners - WFP until April 2020 and after that the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - and the private sector, the EU has concretely impacted the lives of millions of vulnerable people, investing in long term support in order to ensure they get a better chance to rebuild their country.

Related links:

European Commission Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations website: https://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/eu_echo?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ec.humanitarian.aid/

Incredible Ordinary campaign: https://www.incredibleordinary.org/