Republic of Türkiye country strategic plan (2023–2025)

CSP approved at EB November 2022 session

ISUR approved by the ED in February 2023

Revision 01 approved by the ED&DG-FAO in June 2023

Revision 02 approved by the CD in December 2023

The Republic of Türkiye has benefited from continuous economic growth over the last two decades, and investments in infrastructure, education, healthcare and social assistance have led to significant progress towards achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Since 2015 the Republic of Türkiye has shown humanitarian leadership by hosting the largest global refugee population, over 4 million, including 3.8 million Syrian refugees.

Despite progress, greater efforts are needed to reduce poverty among refugees, half of whom are children. While people in the Republic of Türkiye do not experience hunger, food consumption is unhealthy and insufficient access to nutritious foods have led to increasing malnutrition and obesity in certain cohorts of the population. Refugees face challenges obtaining formal employment, rendering them vulnerable to the risks of informal labour and highly dependent on assistance for survival.

Since 2012, WFP has supported the Government of the Republic of Türkiye in managing the large refugee influx from the Syrian Arab Republic, including by providing basic assistance to refugees and working on lasting ways to build their self-reliance. Under this country strategic plan, WFP will continue to provide assistance to refugees living in camps and services to humanitarian and development partners in the Republic of Türkiye. It will also expand sustainable livelihood programming that aims to build the self-reliance of vulnerable Turks and refugees alike. Building on WFP’s expertise in school feeding, WFP will also venture beyond refugee programming to support Government efforts to enhance the national school meals programme.

This country strategic plan is aligned with the Republic of Türkiye’s eleventh development plan, covering 2019–2023, and the 2021–2025 United Nations sustainable development cooperation framework for the country, in aiming to increase self-reliance for refugees and their vulnerable hosts, improve the effectiveness of the international protection and migration management system with a more streamlined approach to international cooperation and ensure that the country’s activities support economic development and regional stability. This country strategic plan will contribute to four interlinked outcomes aligned with WFP’s strategic plan for 2022–2025:

➢ Outcome 1: Refugees can meet their basic needs, including nutritious food, all year round;

➢ Outcome 2: Refugees and vulnerable populations have access to labour market opportunities in order to meet their basic needs, all year round;

➢ Outcome 3: Vulnerable groups, including schoolchildren, benefit from enhanced national capacities on social protection, including school feeding, by 2025; and

➢ Outcome 4: Vulnerable populations in Türkiye benefit from improved humanitarian and development assistance all year round.