UNHCR Seeks USD 210 Million for Türkiye Operations in 2026 as Refugee Needs Persist
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has set a USD 210 million funding requirement for its Türkiye operations in 2026, as the country continues to host one of the world’s largest refugee populations, according to its 2026 Annual Plan Overview.
As of the end of 2025, Türkiye was hosting around 2.5 million refugees, including 2.34 million Syrians under temporary protection and approximately 167,000 people under international protection, UNHCR data show.
The agency plans to operate in seven locations in 2026, including Ankara, Gaziantep, Istanbul, Izmir, Hatay Adana, Şanlıurfa and Van, with a staff of around 250 personnel.
UNHCR’s 2026 response plan prioritises protection, livelihoods, returns and resettlement, with 453,000 vulnerable people targeted for protection-related interventions such as access to registration, psychosocial support, and prevention of gender-based violence. This pillar alone requires USD 97.7 million in funding.
The agency also aims to support 63,620 people through higher education, livelihoods and economic inclusion programmes. At the same time, 360,000 refugees are expected to be interviewed to support safe, dignified and voluntary returns, while 5,000 refugees are planned to be submitted for resettlement consideration in third countries.
The plan follows large-scale voluntary returns after the fall of the Assad regime in Syria in December 2024. UNHCR reported that more than 600,000 Syrians returned voluntarily from Türkiye, with the agency monitoring 73 percent of recorded returns to ensure voluntariness and procedural safeguards.
Despite these returns, UNHCR warned that economic and infrastructure constraints in Syria continue to expose returnees to vulnerabilities, while the majority of Syrian families remain in Türkiye. The agency also flagged healthcare contribution fees for Syrians introduced from January 2026 as an additional pressure on refugee households.
Beyond Syrians, UNHCR stressed that refugees from other countries, particularly people with disabilities, older persons, survivors of gender-based violence and children at risk, will require sustained international support throughout 2026.
UNHCR said its strategy for 2026 will focus on strengthening national systems, supporting fair and efficient asylum procedures, expanding access to essential services and advancing durable solutions, including voluntary return, education, livelihoods and resettlement pathways, in coordination with Turkish institutions.