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JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2016

WFP TURKEYNEWSLETTER

WFP/Feride Yildirim

WFP Field Monitor Cemil Mahli registering a 71 years old Syrian woman living in Gaziantep.

In 2016 and as the Syria conflict is about to enter its sixth year, WFP is hoping to assist up to 735,000 vulnerable Syrians who have been displaced to Turkey, contingent on funding. The year began with a number of high-level visits. EU’s Commissioner Stylianides, USAID Food for Peace’s Dina Esposito and UN Deputy Secretary General Eliasson all met with Syrians assisted through WFP’s e-food card programme implemented jointly with the Turkish Red Crescent.

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER FOR HUMANITARIAN AID VISITS GAZIANTEP

E-food card assistance for Syrians living outside of camps started in 2015 thanks to European funds from ECHO. On 24 January, the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, Christos Stylianides, visited a family supported by the ECHO-funded programme in Gaziantep as well as a contracted supermarket. The commissioner was very moved by the vulnerability of the family and tweeted that support would continue as long as needed.

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USAID FOOD FOR PEACE HEAD VISITS KAHRAMANMARAŞ

On February 4, Dina Esposito, Head of USAID’s Food for Peace (US) section, visited both in-camp and off-camp recipients of WFP assistance in Kahramanmaras.

The USAID delegation visited one of the contracted markets in the city center. Ms. Esposito took the chance to speak with Syrians shopping with the WFP/Kızılay E-food Card.

The delegation visited several WFP-assisted families living off-camp, and a family in their tent in the camp. All the families thanked the Food for Peace delegation and the WFP team for the food assistance. Ms. Esposito and the delegation asked the families about their living conditions and the impact of the e-card food assistance on the quality of their lives. These families left a strong impression on Ms. Esposito who published an account of her visit on a blog.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARIANS VISIT WFP-ASSISTED CAMP AND OFF-CAMP SYRIAN REFUGEES

On February 9, European Parliamentarians from the LIBE committee (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee) visited Syrian families receiving WFP’s e-food card assistance in Gaziantep, a programme funded by ECHO.

That same week, their colleagues from the Budget committee of the EU Parliament were briefed on the developments of the Syria crisis in Turkey and visited the EU-funded food assistance programme in Osmaniye camp. The delegation was warmly welcomed by the camp authorities, and, accompanied by the WFP team, they visited the supermarket where Syrians shop with their e-food card. The delegation seemed impressed by the variety of good quality products on sale at reasonable prices.

USAID’s Office of Food for Peace Director Dina Esposito meets with a Syrian beneficiary in Turkey / Brianna White-Gaynor, USAID

WFP/Semira AlbanoJean ARTHUIS, Chair of the Committee on Budgets (EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT).

USAID delegation with WFP team meeting a Syrian beneficiary in the tent.WFP/Semira Albano

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THE BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY VISITS SARICAM CAMP IN ADANA

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond visited Saricam camp on 15 January. WFP representatives accompanied Mr. Hammond to the camp supermarket and briefed him on the e-food card programme. He was impressed by the quality and range of foodstuffs, remarking that ‘this is a real supermarket.’ In the run-up to the London conference, Mr. Hammond tweeted about his visit to the supermarket and indicated his hopes for more support by the international community.

UN DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL VISITS A FAMILY BENEFITING FROM WFP’S E-FOOD CARD PROGRAMME IN GAZIANTEP

On February 21, the UN Deputy Secretary General (DSG), Jan Eliasson, held a round-table meeting with UN and NGO representatives to discuss operations and challenges on the ground.

During his busy two-day schedule in Turkey, Mr. Eliasson found time to visit a family assisted by WFP. This family, from Aleppo, has been in Turkey for more than two years. The parents have three boys and an autistic girl. The father cannot work for long hours because of a health problem, so the boys work after school until 9:30 pm to support the family. The parents are very much satisfied with the e-food-card assistance, especially as they can now afford buying milk for their daughter.

"BACK TO BASICS”: A JOINT EU-WFP PHOTO EXHIBIT

WFP organized a photo exhibit in CerModern, Ankara, to acknowledge the support of the EU Trust Fund (EUTF) for WFP’s e-food card programme in Turkey.

The exhibition - called "Back to Basics – Food, Solidarity, Hope" – was arranged to bring to public attention faces and moments of Syrian refugees life in the camps of southeastern Turkey. Senior aid officials who attended included Hansjoerg Haber, Head of EU Delegation to Turkey; Jean-Yves Lequime, Director WFP Office in Turkey; Fatih Ozer, Head of the Response Department of AFAD; and Mehmet Güllüoğlu, Director-General of the Turkish Red Crescent. The exhibition is composed of 32 photos taken by Berna Çetin and Barkın Bülbül. The photos show how the provision of food assistance takes the edge of camp life and keeps hope alive. The exhibition was open from 13 to 24 January.

DAVOS GETS A TASTE OF SYRIA

The recipe of Refika, a Syrian refugee living in Turkey, was cooked for guests attending WFP’s annual Davos dinner, held to raise awareness and funds for Zero Hunger. The guests were served maqluba, a chicken, eggplant and rice dish. Thanks to WFP's electronic voucher, Refika is able to buy fresh ingredients and cook traditional dishes that nourish her children and bring her closer to home.

WFP /Nusret YagizWFP /Berna CetinRefike cooking maqluba in Hatay camp

WFP/Semira Albano

WFP/Berna Cetin

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond with WFP team visiting funded UK store in Adana refugee camp prior to London Pledge.

Deputy Secretary General Mr. Aliasson and WFP Head of sub-office Ms. Azhar Alazzawi visiting a Syrian family assisted by WFP in Gaziantep

Figure 1WFP photo exhibit audience at the opening ceremony

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This approach to food relief is designed to give families access to a more diverse diet than traditional rations such as grains, beans or fortified oils. Cash-based transfers also save time and money on the shipping and storage costs associated with general food distributions. As part of its ongoing FamilyChef series, WFP has gathered recipes from individuals like Refika who count on the agency's support to put food on the table. For refugees and global leaders alike, sharing a meal can inspire trust, discussion and understanding. And that kind of positive connection can make a world of difference.

WFP TAKES PART IN LONDON ‘SUPPORT SYRIA’ CONFERENCE

The London Conference, held on February 4 under the title ‘Supporting Syria and the Region’, focused on immediate needs of Syrians and longer-term goals, such as education and economic opportunities, as well as assistance to the governments hosting the millions of refugees from the conflict in Syria. It brought together donors, host governments, aid agencies and civil society organizations to strengthen the humanitarian response to the terrible Syria conflict.

The WFP delegation was headed by Ertharin Cousin, WFP Executive Director, and Muhammad Hadi, WFP Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Secure, multi-year funding is essential to ensure the sustainability of WFP projects that support the most vulnerable Syrian refugees.

The 2016 UN inter-agency appeal for the Syria crisis totaled US$7.73 billion. In the co-host press conference, it was announced that over USD 11 billion was pledged with 6 billion alone for 2016 and an additional 5 billion until 2020. Germany, Bulgaria, Spain, Japan, USA and China all pledge to give money to WFP.

WFP RANKS #1 IN TRANSPARENCY

WFP is number one for financial transparency, according to an increasingly influential ranking of international organizations involved in aid and development work. Scoring high marks for the quality of its data, WFP came out top in the list of 381 organizations which take part in the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI).

All those involved publish their financial data according to specific standards, and make this information available through the IATI website. In the IATI ranking, which uses a new transparency indicator adopted in December, WFP was ahead of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNICEF, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and the World Bank. The indicator takes into account the promptness and detail of data provided, as well as considering how much it looks forward rather than just back in time. WFP joined IATI in 2012, over the past three years, it has continually improved the timing, quality and quantity of the financial data published.

LATEST DONOR CONTRIBUTIONS

WFP welcomes a generous USD 7.5 million contribution from the people of Japan to the e-food card programme in Turkey. This is part of a USD 120.7 million allocation from the Government of Japan to provide vital food and

nutrition assistance to the most vulnerable people affected by conflicts and natural disasters in 32 countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe.WFP is also grateful for the recent contributions of USAID, Australia and the Carrefour Foundation that will all contribute to support vulnerable Syrians in Turkey through the WFP-Kizilay card.

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Thank you Japan for supporting e-food card programme in Turkey.

WFP Mersin/Sencan Coskun

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VOICE FROM THE FIELD: COLOURFUL CARPETS

By Semira Albano, WFP Field Monitor in Hatay

During my identification of vulnerable Syrian families I was happy to meet Ayşe who has already received her WFP/Kızılay e-card. I took the opportunity to ask her how the e-food card has helped her family and what the e-card has changed in their life.

Ayşe is 42 years old. She is from Aleppo. She, her husband and her three children fled from Syria three years ago. Her husband is 55. At the beginning they had some savings to live on. After six months her husband and son tried to find work as casual laborers to help the family. Her husband could not find a job but her son could work occasionally, allowing the family to pay the rent and eat on what her son earned.

“We had to live on cheaper food. Our good Turkish neighbours helped us with some furniture .... all the same, we used to have a very well furnished house in Syria and it is very sad for me to live in an old house with less furniture. ”

‘HEALTH AND SAFETY COME FIRST FOR EMINE

By Semira Albano, WFP Field Monitor in Hatay

Emine lives in Kahramanmaraş city with her three sons and 73- years-old father, whose health is not good. Emine is 32. The family arrived from Syria two years ago after a bomb hit their neighbors’ house.

“The children were very scared and they could not sleep well anymore”, says Emine. Her father wanted to stay in his country at the beginning but when the family decided, he had to leave the country with them.

Now he is happy for reasons of health that he has come to Turkey but the family lives in a damp house which is not good for all of them. But the rent is low and because her husband can rarely find a job this house is all they can afford. Emine is thankful to the Turkish government for providing her father with medical treatment. Having heard of the WFP/Kızılay e-food assistance, she hopes to receive it to improve conditions for her family.

I hope she soon can cook for her children their favorite food, even though her kitchen is not the best one.

WFP/Ali KapiWFP field monitor Semira listening to Ayse’s story

WFP/Semira AlbanoEmine in her kitchen in Kahramanmaras

In response to my question about the ecard Ayşe said she was satisfied. “When we received the e-card I did not have to be concerned about food so much anymore. With the money I have saved I was able to buy new colourful carpets which somehow makes me feel at home. “ Beside this, Ayse mentioned that now, because of e-card assistance, she is able to buy cheese, olives and eggs for breakfast whereas previously she could buy only one of these items a week. Nowadays they are having the kind of breakfast they used to have in their own country.

I was pleased to share Ayşe’s joy at feeling more at home with her colourful carpets and being able to have a proper breakfast again with her family.

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WFP thanks its generous donors for their contributions to the e-Food Card Programme.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

STAFF PROFILE

Muntaha Hoca, WFP field monitor in Gaziantep

“I joined WFP on January 14, 2013. I was the first field monitor in the Gaziantep emergency team formed to assist Syrians in Turkey and have been with the team during all the successive phases of its work.

During our daily work, either when on a mission to a camp or outside the camps, we check on security matters and we make sure our radios and mobiles are charged. We monitor market prices and the quality of the food which assisted people buy. We ask them about their level of satisfaction with the e-food card program so we can understand the challenges and thus solve problems.

I feel sad about families with only two or three persons because larger families can buy in greater bulk which is more cost effective and because they have more people who may be able to find work to supplement living costs. I try to help when I can. During our off-camp assessment visits in Gaziantep, I came across a couple with disabilities. They have four-year-old twins. Although the market is not far away, I advised the market staff to help this family with carrying their items and also to inform them in time of any discounted items. Food means life. If there is no food, life is not easy. I feel happy to help the Syrians in Turkey since they do not speak the language and I can help them with this as well.

Outside of work, I am interested in following up the news on nature or in politics. I walk daily for two hours, I read science and theology books, and the rest of time when I am not working I look after my 18-months-old son, I regain my energy playing with him. I love my baby and love my work as well.”

WFP/Feride YildirimWFP Field Monitor Assistant Muntaha visiting off-camp beneficiary