TurkeyGovernment proposes: e-Food cards to Syrian refugees' crisis

The war in Syria has entered its sixth year leaving hundreds of thousands of people dead. It has caused the world's largest humanitarian crisis since World War II. Six and a half million people are internally displaced and nearly five million have registered as refugees in the neighbouring countries.

Turkey has today the highest number of refugees in the world, 3.1 million, of which 2.7 million are Syrians. In order to make things easier and secure refugees' basic needs, three years ago Syrian refugees in Turkey started receiving e-Food cards. 

"With the card we are better off. Before we used to receive hot meals but many times my children couldn't eat them. The card is easier, I can buy what I like and cook what my family likes our way. I come 5 times a week and I spend between 100-125 liras (roughly €30-40)," a Syrian refugee Salwa said.

There is plenty of food, thanks to international donors and local government, she added.

Since last year the e-Food card also began to be distributed outside the camps. Ninety thousand people have received help so far.

Fatma Tuba is a mother of five from Aleppo. She arrived in southeastern city of Gaziantep two and a half years ago. She received her card a few months after the off-camp project started.

"Our conditions have improved, we are better now. I received the card nine months ago and that has allowed us to buy what we need. You can always do better, but it's fine," she said. 

The card is uploaded off-camp with 62 Turkish Lira (€19) per person per week. It provides each person with an average of 2100 calories per day. Sweets, alcohol and cigarettes are forbidden.

There are 25 markets participating in the e-Food card programme in the Gaziantep province. Price monitoring is on a monthly basis so the World Food Programme can make sure that their beneficiaries have good quality products at good prices.

The WFP is planning to reach 585,000 people off-camp in the coming months.