Mid-term Evaluation Report: Community Centre Project for Syrian People Under Temporary Protection in Turkey

The four-year conflict in Syria has caused the loss of thousands of lives and damaged many more. The crisis has also caused internal and external displacement. Four million Syrians are currently living in the neighbouring countries, and the crisis has spread over the region, producing further displacement into more safe areas. In Turkey, the number of registered Syrian people has surpassed 1.7 million; some 255,000 people out of them are currently living in camps under the protection of the Turkish Government. 80 per cent of this population consists of the most vulnerable portion of the population: mainly women and children.

In the protection camps, the Turkish Red Crescent (TRCS) is offering a variety of services including nutrition, shelter, and psychosocial support, thus contributing to the Turkish Government led operation for Syrian population.

By December 2014, the cities hosting the most Syrian people are Sanliurfa, Istanbul, Gaziantep and Hatay. The needs and vulnerability of Syrian people living in urban areas are increasing as their previously available resources are getting depleted. Thus, realizing that there is a structured system in place for supporting the protected Syrian population living in camps, the Turkish Red Crescent has been broadening the scope of its activities to address the needs of these people and aims to engage in action in urban areas as well.

As a result, the first community centre of this kind started to operate in Sanliurfa as of 20 January 2015 within the scope of the Turkey: Population movement International Appeal (MDRTR003) operation, with the support from the Turkish Red Crescent and the Secretariat of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).