Syrian refugees in Turkey: exploring the role of I/NGOs in refugee crisis

Abstract

This article analyses the role that nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society organisations play in managing Syrian refugees’ basic needs and access to public services. This research is based on a qualitative approach. We collected information on the role of the NGOs through interviews (from 42 respondents, with NGOs and civil society organisations, selected on a snowball basis) in Turkey. We found that the NGOs play an important role in substantiating the government’s efforts in providing various kinds of basic services to the refugees. However, these NGOs suffer from insufficient funds and uncertain funding commitments. On top of this, there has been a lack of cooperation between the NGOs. This study touches upon the importance of NGOs in terms of structural and practical difficulties. Cooperation and collaboration among the NGOs have appeared as important issues in dealing with the refugee crisis in Turkey. This research has crucial policy implications for the NGOs and the governments of the destination and origin countries.

Keywords:

• Syrian refugees
• humanitarian crises
• NGOs
• INGOs
• civil society organisations
• Turkey

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Emrah Atar

Emrah Atar (PhD) is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Recep Tayyip Erdogan University. He holds an MSc in public administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago (2017) and a PhD in Development Policy and Management from the University of Manchester (2020), where his doctoral and master’s research theses were funded by the Republic of Turkey within the scope of Law No. 1416 YLSY. His research interests are in politics, governance, migration, policy development and management, urban politics, urbanisation and environmental problems and policies. He is Assistant Executive Editor of the Political Reflection Magazine, Field Editor of the Journal of Interdisciplinary Food Studies and Commissioning Editor of the E-International Relations.

Farhad Hossain

Farhad Hossain (PhD) is Reader at the Global Development Institute (GDI), School of Environment, Education and Development at the University of Manchester where he directs the MSc Programme in Human Resource Management (International Development). He holds a PhD in Administrative Science and has carried out research in a number of countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. From 2009 to 2012, he worked as Executive Editor of the International Journal of Public Administration. He has edited a number of special issues in journals and edited books by Routledge. His current research interests include public policy and management, development administration, local governance and decentralisation, organisational behaviour, and institutional and policy aspects of development NGOs and microfinance institutions (MFIs).

A. K. M. Ahsan Ullah

AKM Ahsan Ullah (PhD) is Associate Professor in Geography, Environment and Development at the University of Brunei Darussalam (UBD). His research portfolio includes stints at the Southeast Asian Research Centre (SEARC), Hong Kong; IPH, University of Ottawa, McMaster University; Saint Mary’s University, and Dalhousie University, Canada; the American University in Cairo (AUC); City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Osnabruck University, Germany; and Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand. He was the Research Coordinator of Plan International. His research areas include population migration, human rights, development, environment and health policy. His works have appeared in most prominent outlets in the areas of his interests. He has contributed 55 articles to refereed journals and at least 40 chapters in a number of books, and has published 15 books.