Number 202 | July 17, 2012
Turkey has opened its borders to an estimated 40,000 Syrian refugees fleeing the brutal crackdown in Syria by Bashar Al-Assad’s regime, according to Turkey’s disaster relief agency. Syrian refugees have since been sheltered in nine tent cities and a container camp established by Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).
Faced with a growing influx of refugees, preparations are now under way to construct a second tent city with a capacity to shelter 10,000 people in Sanliurfa Province. Additional tent cities in Hatay Province and Gaziantep Province and a container city in Kilis have also been established in the Turkey-Syria border region. Services including food, health, security, social activities, education, worship and communication are provided throughout the camps within the coordination of AFAD.
According to Turkish officials, Turkey has already spent more than $150 million on humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees.
