Refugees in Turkey receive "e-cards" to purchase food

Created in 2012, KahramanmaraÅŸ is one of 26 refugee camps that exist in Turkey. Is presented as the following example in operating terms and conditions. 19 1000 people live here. Residents can take advantage of a card that allows you to buy food.

"It's much better with the card. Before, they served us hot meals, but many of them my kids couldn't eat. With the card, buy what I want and cook our way to the family. I've been here five times a week. Between 30 to 40 euros spent ", tells us Salwa, a refugee from Syria.

The World Food Programme has created this solution, along with the Turkish Red Crescent, to materialize the international funds it collects. Each family receives a so-called "e-cards", a sort of debit card that is loaded twice a mo nth. Is used by more than 150 1000 people. One of the main donors the humanitarian aid Department of the European Commission.

According to Mathias Eick, representative of this Department, "in the last 12 months, within the framework of the World Food Programme, have already been delivered more than 40 million euros. In the coming months, we will try to extend the concept to reach the bar of 600 1000 users. The more we know about their needs, more people can take this concept. "

This field works like a small town where food and medical care are guaranteed. But as the 90% of Syrian refugees outside the camps. We went to Gaziantep, near the Syria border.



Gaziantep is within 100 kilometers of the martyred city of Aleppo Syria. That's where comes the vast majority of the 325 1000 refugees who live here. About a third of them have access to the food card. But humanitarian aid teams know they need to expand quickly this feature out of the fields.

Hala Khaled is part of those teams: "I'm Syria. I got the 4 years ago and Gaziantep started working in the World Food Programme. We're going door to door to identify the Syrian families which meet the criteria for being part of our program. "

Find and register people is a comprehensive task. One of the data that was promptly put the naked was that at least one third of these families starve.

Fatma's five children. Aleppo came about two years ago. It was among the first to receive the card abroad. "Th is has improved a lot. I received the card for nine months. We can buy what we need. Of course it could be better, but it's good, "believes.

The help allows these people to choose their food properly, while encouraging the local economy. Purchases must be made on a monitored network.

Outside the camps, each person is entitled to a charging on the card about 20 euros per month. It is strictly forbidden to buy candy, alcohol and cigarettes.

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