Turkey hosts the most refugees in the world

Turkey hosts the largest number of refugees in the world - There are currently an estimated 6.05 million displaced people living in Turkey. The vast majority are from Syria and are under temporary protection status. They have access to Turkish public services (hospital, schools, etc.) in the province where they have registered, but not outside. Imece works with many refugees who have moved away from their original registration province. Often, they are unable to re-register, especially due to low Turkish language skills and burdensome administrative procedures, leaving them without access to public health and education services.

Mud floors and no sanitation

The unofficial refugee camps are made up of basic tent structures built on dirt floors with no protection from the weather. These settlements are up to six years old and many tents are severely damaged. There is often nothing in the way of clean running water, waste management or electricity. Small stoves are used inside the tents for cooking and heating in the winter. In winter, temperatures drop below zero and heavy rainfall turns the campsites to mud. It is impossible to keep the tents dry and clean and this raises serious health concerns for the refugee residents.

Providing basic items that save lives

Since 2015, we have been distributing life-saving items to unofficial camps across the Izmir area. While we strive to move beyond an emergency-response model of aid, the level of need remains too great to stop. We receive donations such as stoves, rain boots, tent waterproofing materials, and hygiene supplies from organizations and individuals. We also maintain continuous communication with residents to assess emerging needs and use donated funds to purchase urgent supplies when necessary. In addition, following the 6 February earthquakes, our emergency distributions have extended to earthquake-affected regions in Turkey, as well as to disaster, crisis, and conflict-affected areas outside of Turkey, where needs continue to arise.