Attachments
Highlights
• The number of refugees and migrants attempting to cross into Europe continued to drop to its lowest levels since the beginning of the crisis – less than 1,100 people made the dangerous sea journey from Turkey to Greece in February, while 719 more were rescued or apprehended.
• UNICEF and NGO partner IMPR launched an education outreach campaign in 6 provinces along the South-East to monitor and evaluate the coverage of educational opportunities available to refugee children in Turkey.
• Nearly 8,650 Syrian refugee children benefitted from psychosocial support (PSS) in camps and host communities across Turkey. An additional 8,299 refugee and migrant children were identified by outreach teams and referred to specialized services.
• UNICEF and partners nearly completed the winter support programme in February, reaching a total of 30,206 refugee and 2,880 vulnerable Turkish households this winter with cash-based assistance in 10 provinces, benefitting an estimated 182,000 people including 99,000 children.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
In February, the number of refugees and migrants attempting to cross into Europe continued to drop to its lowest levels since the beginning of the crisis – according to the Turkish authorities, less than 1,100 people made the dangerous sea journey from Turkey to Greece in February, while 719 more were rescued or apprehended (including 84 children, 7 of whom were unaccompanied and/or separated). The continuing cold weather and strict border enforcement along the coast, as well as ongoing uncertainty on the status of migrants and refugees in Europe, are likely causes of this trend.
Under the framework of the EU-Turkey Readmission Agreement, 4 rounds of returns took place in January for 34 adults (no children) primarily from South Asia and North Africa – bringing the total number of people re-admitted to Turkey since March 2016 to 899.