FAO Turkey advances work on the Syrian refugee response project
Ankara – Representatives from the Government of Turkey, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Union (EU) met on 4th October at the Sheraton Hotel to discuss progress on the joint Syrian refugee response project. This EU-funded initiative aims to strengthen the resilience and socio-economic integration of Syrians under Temporary Protection (SuTPs) and vulnerable host communities in Turkey by supporting agriculture-based livelihoods and improving access to employment in the agrifood sector. The project entitled “Building Resilience of Syrians Under Temporary Protection and Host Communities in Turkey Through Supporting Socio-Economic Integration and Creating Livelihood Opportunities” is implemented by FAO. The organization plans to reach 6200 SuTPs and Turkish beneficiaries in ten provinces by the end of 2022.
Aylin Çağlayan Özcan, Director-General, General Directorate of European Union and Foreign Relations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, opened the meeting. Since 2016, she explained, “we have implemented important projects together with FAO to strengthen the integration of social and economic qualifications for SuTPs in the food and agriculture sector, and to increase the income opportunities of local people. She conveyed her thanks and continued support to all stakeholders of the project”.
Viorel Gutu, FAO Representative in Turkey, underscored the vital support of the European Union and the Turkish Government to the FAO Syrian Refugee Resilience plan, with financial contributions amounting to USD 11 million. Gutu stressed that the project also aims to strengthen the agriculture sector and contribute economically to the livelihoods of Syrians hosted by Turkey. Concretely, “The project transfers knowledge and skills to farmers and workers to increase their production and create more employment”. To date, he explained, “2 000 beneficiaries have graduated from vocational training courses in the crop production, livestock and food sectors. However, this number more than doubles to 4 500 when Farmer Field Schools and Agriculture Skill Development Programme beneficiaries are included”.
Dimitrina Karayotova, Deputy Head of Section, Facility for Refugees in Turkey, Delegation of European Union to Turkey, contextualized the project within the broader global crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic. Underlining the importance of global cooperation to mitigate the effects of the pandemic and the crisis, Karayotova explained that, “the project plays an important role in sustainable agricultural development and creating new employment areas”, and emphasized the crucial role that strong communication between partners has played in helping to bring this vision to fruition.
Çağatay Çebi,Project Coordinator, informed the participants about progress, noting that employment targets for the project are about to be reached and will be exceeded next year. Representatives of Provincial Directorates of Agriculture and Forestry Adana, Bursa, Gaziantep, Hatay, İzmir Kahramanmaraş, Kilis, Manisa, Şanlıurfa, and Van provinces, discussed the current status of the project, their needs and the future plans of the cooperatives, which play a central role in the achieving the project’s goals.
The project is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security under the Syrian Refugee Resilience Plan.