WFP re-defines ‘food assistance’ in refugee camps in Turkey

Nour is a Syrian refugee who is originally from Hama. She now lives in Akçakale camp with her family in Southeastern Turkey. Photo: WFP/Deniz Akkus

For Nour, a would-be artist with bright eyes and a cheerful smile, adjusting to life in a refugee camp in southern Turkey has been hard. So much is different to her former life in Syria. But one thing that makes it easier is being able to shop for food like a ‘normal’ person.

“I do my best to help my parents take care of the family, so I do the food shopping daily,” says Nour, as she grabs the products her mother asked her to get from the camp supermarket. “The things we buy most are vegetables, fruit and dairy products. We usually eat lots of greens, for instance.”

“We don’t have to go without our favourite foods. We can buy them with this card,” she adds, holding up one of the red debit cards that all families in the Akçakale camp have.

Nour’s family can buy nutritious food like dairy products, fruits and vegetables, thanks to the monthly uploads. Photo: WFP/Deniz Akkus

The same type of card is used by every Syrian family living in the 10 camps supported by the World Food Programme in Southeast Turkey. Through the card, they receive a monthly allowance, amounting to 50 Turkish Liras (around 13 Euros) per person in each family. The money can be spent in supermarkets set up inside the camps.

In 2018, the “e-food card programme” is supported by Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hainan Airlines Group, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Norway, the Republic of Korea and the USA. WFP hopes that additional contributions will ensure the programme can continue until the end of the year.

Nours family is assigned an ‘e-food card’, which can be redeemed for nutritious food at the counters in the camp supermarkets. Photo: WFP/Deniz Akkus

Nour, for example, has always loved drawing and she has found ways to express that passion in the camp. She volunteers for art projects run there and also teaches children art.

Nour volunteers for arts projects in the camp to pursue her talent in arts. Photo: WFP/Deniz Akkus

“I was able to finish high school but I never get to follow my dream of becoming an artist because the war put everything on hold,” she says.

“I don’t have big dreams anymore but being active in the camp helps me rebuild my life. Because I just want to be happy,” Nour adds.

There are over 227,000 Syrian refugees living in refugee camps run by the Turkish government. WFP supports around 150,000 in ten of the camps.

Nour came to Turkey two years ago from Syria and now lives in a tent with her family in a refugee camp. Photo: WFP/Deniz Akkus

The World Food Programme (WFP) began assisting Syrian refugees in the camps in October 2012, on the request of the Turkish government. Partnering with the Turkish Red Crescent (TRC) and the Turkish Government’s Emergency and Disaster Management Presidency (AFAD), WFP implements the innovative electronic food-assistance programme. In addition to the e-food card, the families receive 50 Turkish Liras per person per month from AFAD to buy additional food and non-food items.

WFP’s innovative e-food card programme reaches 150,000 people every month to make sure that Syrian refugees eat nutritious food. Photo: WFP/Deniz Akkus

The e-food card programme allows Syrian families in camps to choose and buy nutritious food in regular supermarkets that have been set up in the camps. The project is implemented jointly by WFP and the TRC, under the coordination of AFAD. Learn more about WFP in Turkey.