Türkiye

Türkiye remains one of the world’s largest refugee-hosting countries, currently sheltering around 3 million registered refugees, primarily from Syria, alongside smaller populations from Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran. Humanitarian indicators show persistent and overlapping vulnerabilities: many refugee households live in poverty and rely on informal work or assistance, while access to adequate housing, healthcare, education and basic services is often limited, particularly in the context of high inflation and strained public systems. These challenges have been further intensified by the devastating 2023 earthquakes, which caused widespread destruction, loss of life and displacement, deepening existing humanitarian needs in already affected regions. 

Refugee families often face the challenge of rebuilding their lives from scratch while coping with limited income, insecure housing, and barriers to stable employment. Children may experience disrupted education or language barriers that make it harder to keep up at school, while adults frequently take on informal, low-paid work to support their households. In areas affected by the earthquakes, entire communities continue to live with the loss of homes and livelihoods, relying on humanitarian support not only for basic needs but also for a sense of stability and dignity in an uncertain future.

The Estonian Refugee Council began its work in Türkiye in 2016, focusing on supporting the mental health and education of children displaced by the Syrian civil war. Following the devastating earthquakes in 2023, ERC expanded its response to provide urgently needed humanitarian assistance to affected communities.