GOAL Türkiye Continues Critical ECHO-Funded LINK Protection Project, Supporting Over 23,000 Displaced & Vulnerable Communities

GOAL Türkiye is delighted to announce the continuation of the LINK V Protection Project for 2024, thanks to the generous support of the ECHO. Now in its fifth year of operation, this vital collaboration enables GOAL Türkiye to sustain and expand essential protection activities for Syrian nomadic and semi-nomadic communities (NSCs) and seasonal agricultural workers (SAWs) in Türkiye.

Five Years of Impact in Southern Türkiye

In 2023, the programme provided essential protection, shelter, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) activities to over 120,000 displaced people in the region. Between 2018 and 2022, GOAL Türkiye supported over 214,000 marginalised refugees from Seasonal Agricultural Workers (SAW) and communities from Nomadic Cultural Backgrounds (NCB), other vulnerable Syrian refugees, and host community members impacted by the earthquake through a wide range of activities, including protection and advocacy-related activities, WASH, Shelter, etc., with the ECHO-funded LINK programmes.

Responding to the Growing Needs

Aleksandar Milutinovic, Country Director of GOAL Türkiye, highlighted the significant need and impact of the LINK programme on displaced communities sheltering in Türkiye:

“2023 was an unprecedentedly challenging year for humanitarian needs in Türkiye. We saw two earthquakes devastate 11 provinces, claiming the lives of over 53,000 people, while over nine million people continue to face challenges.

In 2024, Türkiye continues to host the largest refugee population in the world, with 3.6 million registered Syrian refugees and over 320,000 persons of concern from other nationalities. Our support has never been more needed, and our activities aim to help people recover from crises and rebuild their lives.”

Supporting essential protection activities for Syrian NSCs and SAWs

The LINK V Protection Project is central to GOAL Türkiye’s mission to support marginalised populations, ensuring they receive the protection and services necessary to lead dignified lives. This project addresses the unique challenges NSCs and SAWs face, which often include significant barriers to accessing fundamental rights and services. The programme will support over 23,000 people with:

• Case Management
• Awareness-Raising Activities
• Legal Counseling and Support
• Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Activities
• Protection Monitoring Activities and
• Community-Based Protection Interventions

Ongoing Support and Future Prospects

Thanks to ECHO for their continued support, which is instrumental in enabling GOAL Türkiye to continue these critical activities, particularly amidst Türkiye’s ongoing recovery from the recent earthquake and the impact of rising inflation.

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