Türkiye

Many Syrian children living in Türkiye have now missed four or more years of education, and as of the 2020/21 academic year, more than 35% the 1,100,000 school-aged Syrian children in Türkiye remain out of school with no access to educational opportunities. 

There is an urgent need for education programming to ensure that children can register in school and succeed socially and academically. We work in collaboration with the Turkish Ministry of National Education and local partners to alleviate financial constraints on families, as well as other barriers to education, so that Syrian children can access quality education that supports their learning, development and wellbeing. 

In 2024, Concern’s Education program will support over 4,700 school-aged Syrian boys and girls to enter the formal education system. Our support for school enrollment is complemented by social cohesion activities that bring Turkish and Syrian children together and psychosocial support that builds children’s resilience, confidence and sense of self-worth.

Many Syrians in Türkiye live in poverty and struggle to find stable employment that allows them to meet their families’ needs. Livelihood opportunities for Syrian refugees in Türkiye are increasingly important to reduce their risk of resorting to negative coping mechanisms including child marriage, child labor, a reduction in the quality and quantity of food consumed, substandard housing, and street-begging. 

To offset this, it is critical that refugees be able to integrate into different tiers of the labour market. We're supporting people to acquire the necessary skills through vocational as well as Turkish language training. In 2023, we supported over 3,600 Syrian refugees and host community members to improve their skills through this program. The course has proven to be particularly successful with a substantial number of participants now engaged in employment opportunities.

In 2023, Concern implemented emergency water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs in response to urgent, earthquake-driven needs in Adiyaman, Malatya, Gaziantep, and Hatay provinces. Funding from Irish Aid, BHA, and ECHO enabled Concern to provide essential WASH services, including water supply, sanitation facilities, and hygiene promotion, along with hygiene kits. 

The programme, which operated in both urban and rural areas across the four locations, aimed to support vulnerable families affected by the crisis. Coordination was facilitated through collaboration with the WASH sector, AFAD, and local municipalities. Information on gaps in services was obtained from these entities, and verification processes were implemented before intervention to avoid duplication and ensure accessibility.