UNHCR TURKEY – Syrian Emergency Weekly Situation Update No. 3 18 January – 24 January 2014 Key activities: • More than 10,000 Syrians crossed the border in the past two weeks; • UNHCR starts cash assistance for non-camp refugees; • The IMC-ASAM Multi-Service Refugee Support Centre opens in Istanbul; • All UNHCR procured mobile registration units handed over to AFAD; • MoFSP conducts psycho-social surveys and assessments in camps. UNHCR starts cash assistance UNHCR, started to distribute cash assistance to vulnerable non-camp Syrians living in five provinces (Kilis, Gaziantep, Nizip, Reyhanli and Yayladagi). The vulnerable families have been identified by UNHCR’s partner Kimse Yok Mu in advance and the cash assistance is delivered through a b ank card. The assistance will gradually roll out to other provinces hosting large number of non-camp Syrian refugees. Opening of Refugee Support Centre The IMC-ASAM Multi-Service Refugee Support Centre for Syrian Refugees was opened in Istanbul on 20 January , which will provide legal counselling, mental health and psychosocial support, medical referrals, information on available services in Istanbul, and material support for extremely vulnerable refugees. The centre, funded by DFID, is staffed by primary health care professionals, psychologists, caseworkers, trainers, and contracted lawyers. ASAM and IMC presented their findings from the ir Rapid Needs Assessment in Istanbul of 150 households, which highlighted the poor living conditions of many families, the difficulties regarding access to health (mainly due to language barriers and the high cost of medication), as well as access to education. More than 10,000 Syrian crossed the border in the past two weeks During the reporting period, armed clashes between rebel groups continued in the Syrian frontier of Azez District in the Governate of Aleppo, in close proximity to Turkish border area of Oncupinar District, Kilis province. Military hostilities were also reported cross Karkamish border in the vicinity of Jarablus. Since 8 January 2014, it was reported that more than 10,000 Syrians were admitted from the Talabyad (SAR) to Akcakale t own. The official border crossing in Akcakale has been closed for about two weeks for security reasons due to clashes in Talabyad and Raqqa (SAR), which means that most of the refugees came from un-official border crossing points along Akcakale frontier wi th Syria. With this influx, the current known number of Syrians in Akcakale town and its villages is estimated at 27,000 persons. During the past week, some 1,440 Syrians were also admitted from Jarablus (SAR) to Karkamis (TR), and were initially accommodated in the sports-hall and funeral homes for one or two nights. On 23 January, it was reported that some 400 Syrians from this group were transferred to Karkamis camp and some 500 to Nizip 1 camp and 500 to Islahiye camp. Sector progress Protection Relief items assistance Capacity building Mobile registration units UNHCR is preparing to deliver series of Nine a dditional mobile registration units are being workshops for NGOs on international protection, delivered to AFAD Ankara this weekend, which to cover among others the principles of temporary brings the total of delivered registration units to protection, the refugee definition, identification of 23. This completes the agreed material support by UNHCR to the registration activities by AFAD, vulnerabilities, referral systems for vulnerable persons and code of conduct. A similar training that aims at reac hing and identifying the refugees module is in development for UN agencies which outside of the camps. AFAD Ankara is in the have expre ssed interest for their staff to receive process of sending the mobile units to field more information on working with refugees. locations and making them operational. Psycho-social support Distribution of winter clothes Clothing distribution resumed on 24 January, and Surveys and assessments targeting refugees in need of psycho social support are conducted or in total seven camps have received 28,852 planned to be conducted in different camps. additional sets of clothing for children between 10 UNHCR will give support in preparing leaflets on to 17 age groups. women’s rights and some sensitive issues, such as early marriages. Community empowerment There were significant increases in the number of established refugee committees, including women and youth, during the second ha lf of 2013. In many camps, the camp management together with social workers, supported by UNHCR, intensified their efforts to encourage refugees to form committees. So far only six camps (including the recently established Viransehir and Nusaybin camps) of the 22 camps do not have any form of women’s representation, while 13 camps have a separate women’s committee. Wash containers Education The delivery of 316 WASH containers procured The Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related by UNHCR began in late December 2013 and is Communities (YTB), the state i nstitution on-going with the delivery this week of 30 WASH responsible of facilitating the university un its to Kahramanmaras camp. The remaining application procedure for Syrian students, 242 WASH containers are ready for distribution advised that out of 248 students admitted to and pending AFAD's instructions on the Turkish universities with a full scholarship, only distribution locations. 200 have been registered so far . The main Health reason for failing to register was related to not being able to provide the necessary documents or UNHCR met with a UNICEF nutritionist to prove the authenticity of documents previously consultant, who visited Gazinantep to assess the provided. Additionally, there were financial feasibility of conducting a nutritional assessment considerations, including transport costs and the in camps and urban areas (with an emphasis on cost of translating and certifyin g documents. the non-camp refugee population). The UNICEF Finally in some rare cases, it is believed that nutritionist advised that there are increasing cultural concerns discouraged some families to number of malnourished children arriving in send their children away. UNHCR field teams Damascus from “rebel“ held areas, w hich reported that 141 students from different camps increases the likelihood of malnutrition cases received university acceptances and finalized among Syrian refugees arriving in Turkey. The their registrations. two agencies will follow up on this initiative. RRP5 Implementation by end of December 2013 Statistics .