The Syrian refugee crisis in Türkiye

What are we missing? The Development Initiatives Podcast

The world’s attention is limited. Today’s burning emergency becomes tomorrow’s forgotten crisis. When the media spotlight moves on, vital issues in development and humanitarian response risk being forgotten. In this podcast miniseries, Development Initiatives’ (DI’s) CEO Adrian Lovett speaks with people with deep expertise to take us beyond the headlines and explore the missing issues, missing voices and missing data as we ask: What are we missing?

In this episode, we turn our attention to the situation facing Syrian refugees in Türkiye. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, since the outbreak of war in 2011, over 14 million Syrians have had to flee their homes in search of safety. More than 6.8 million people have been forced to move within Syria, and millions more have made perilous journeys to leave the country as refugees, mostly travelling to Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt. Türkiye hosts the largest refugee population in the world, including around 3.6 million Syrians. Most observers recognise that the Turkish people have welcomed these refugees and provided significant support. But still, Syrian refugees in Türkiye face many challenges, which were further exacerbated by powerful earthquakes that struck the region in February 2023, killing thousands of people.

So, what are we missing about Syria’s refugee crisis? What is the situation today? What support is needed? And what might the future hold?

Our guests are:

• Sema Genel Karaosmanoğlu, Executive Director at Support to Life.
• Muhammed Adil, Partnerships Coordinator at the Bonyan Organization.

For more on the issues covered in this episode, read:

• Our joint report with ODI, The failure to fund refugee-led organisations.
• Funding to local actors: evidence from the Syrian refugee response in Türkiye.
• The Global Humanitarian Assistance Report 2023.

What are we missing? is a production of Development Initiatives, a global organisation harnessing the power of data and evidence to end poverty, reduce inequality and increase resilience. All views expressed are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of Development Initiatives.

To stay up to date with our work, follow us on X or LinkedIn, visit our website, and register for email updates.
We value your feedback! If you have comments or ideas for the show, please contact us. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review wherever you listen.