EU provides further €325 million in humanitarian aid for refugees in Turkey

The EU has allocated an additional €325 million to extend the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) program until early 2023. The ESSN provides more than 1.5 million refugees in Turkey with monthly cash transfers to cover their essential needs. It is the biggest humanitarian program in the history of the EU, and the world’s biggest humanitarian cash assistance program.

During his visit to Ankara today, Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said: “Vulnerable refugees in Turkey have now been able to rely on our humanitarian assistance for more than five years, and we will not let them down. Thanks to the funds announced today, the EU will continue the ESSN program until early 2023. This support is a critical lifeline for hundreds of thousands of families, many of whom have been especially hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. This cash assistance enables them to decide for themselves what they need most urgently, whilst contributing to the Turkish economy. This is a major achievement for the EU, for our humanitarian partners, and the government of Turkey.”

The ESSN program provides vulnerable registered refugees with monthly cash transfers onto an electronic debit card. It helps them pay for what they need most, such as rent, transport, bills, food, and medicine. Thanks to a partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Turkish Red Crescent Society, and close coordination with the Turkish government, over 1.5 million refugees living in Turkey receive ESSN support.

The funding announced is part of the €3 billion packages to support refugees in Turkey announced by President von der Leyen following the European Council of 25 June 2021.

During the visit, Commissioner Lenarčič, together with the Secretary-General of the IFRC, Jagan Chapagain will meet with representatives of the Turkish Red Crescent and the refugees who directly benefit from the ESSN program.

The Commissioner is due to meet high-level Turkish representatives: Fuat Oktay, Vice President; Faruk Kaymakçı, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; Derya Yanık, Minister of Family and Social Services and Yunus Sezer, President of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.