TÜRKİYE PROGRAMME

Following the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in 2011, approximately 3,700,000 war-weary migrants entered Türkiye. In this context, Dünya Doktorları (DDD)/Médecins du Monde (MdM) Türkiye started humanitarian operations to increase, improve and facilitate access to healthcare for vulnerable groups affected by humanitarian crises, including refugees, migrants and asylum seekers.

Türkiye is one of the largest refugee hosting countries in the world, with nearly 4 million registered Syrian refugees and 320,000 registered non-Syrian migrants and asylum seekers. In
Istanbul alone, there are an estimated 640,037 irregular or undocumented migrants, mainly from Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq, as well as African countries. The majority of migrants and refugees live with host communities in urban and rural areas of the country: Istanbul, Izmir and Hatay are some of the provinces in the country with the highest number of Syrian refugees and migrants.

According to DDD/MdM Türkiye's direct field data and observations, it is increasingly difficult for registered, irregularly registered and unregistered Syrian refugees and non-Syrian migrants to
legalize their status in cities like Izmir and Istanbul. Many of them live in poverty and many are forced to work in unregistered and precarious conditions in sectors such as construction or textiles, without social rights. A significant number of them work as seasonal agricultural workers in rural areas of Türkiye. Without legal documents, they live without basic services such as health and education and face the risk of deportation.

Poor living conditions in Türkiye, coupled with conflict and the resulting forced displacement, have serious consequences on the psychological well-being of refugees/migrants, with a particularly negative impact on women, the elderly and children. Migrants and refugees living in rural areas tend to face additional barriers and have little or no access to health services due to distance, financial constraints and lack of information on available services.

In this context, DDD/MdM Türkiye addresses a critical gap in health and protection services in a sustainable manner by bridging humanitarian assistance with the social protection services (human-development nexus) capacity of relevant government agencies/development actors.

DDD/MdM Türkiye mobile medical units currently provide primary health care, sexual andv reproductive health (including postnatal care), mental health and psychosocial support and protection services to over 4,000 seasonal agricultural refugees in rural areas of Izmir and Manisa.

In line with its social cohesion mission for refugees and migrants living in Türkiye, DDD/MdM Türkiye provides structured psychosocial support services with a special focus on the integration of children, including children with special needs, into schools. Through community- oriented protection services, DDD/MdM Türkiye teams of experts organize sessions to raise awareness of women and children on issues such as health, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), gender-based violence (SGBV), and empower them by informing them of the Turkish public system and the social rights.

EARTHQUAKE EMERGENCY RESPONSE

On February 6, 2023, a series of catastrophic earthquakes struck southern Türkiye and north-western Syria (NWS), causing the death of more than 58,000 people in collapsed buildings, displacing millions across both countries, and causing widespread destruction to homes and infrastructure in the region. The earthquake was followed by 78 aftershocks over the next few weeks, affecting a population of over 18 million in both countries. Occurring in the height of winter, survivors who had escaped collapsing buildings were then at risk of freezing in exposed conditions, and required shelter, food and healthcare. The need for healthcare support in the affected areas remains critical. Antibiotics, access to chronic disease medications, mental health and psychosocial support, maternal and pediatric health, were just some of the needs for survivors over the past year.

DDD)/MdM Türkiye has been on the ground from day one providing emergency response in affected areas in Türkiye and northwest Syria (NWS). With the support of the MdM International Network, over the past year DDD/MdM Türkiye has provided comprehensive healthcare services including primary health care (PHC), distribution of medicines, provision of sexual and reproductive health care and rights (SRHR) services, distribution of dignity, hygiene and maternity kits, individual and group mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services, protection, case management and support for secondary health care facilities. 

DDD/MdM Türkiye has been operating both mobile medical units (MMU) to serve hard-to-reach locations and a women and child friendly safe space to reach the most vulnerable populations. 

In total, DDD/MdM Türkiye provided over 278,450 health services consultations through mobile medical units, primary health care clinics and community centres, as well as case management and dignity, hygiene and maternity kits to earthquake affected populations in Türkiye and NWS.

DDD/MdM Türkiye, as a registered Turkish NGO, in Türkiye, provides protection and health services to refugees and undocumented migrants in Manisa, Izmir, and Hatay.