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EU Launches Largest Ever Aid Program for 1 Mln Refugees in Turkey

© REUTERS / Umit BektasRefugees walk along a beach before trying to travel to the Greek island of Chios from the western Turkish coastal town of Cesme, in Izmir province, Turkey, in this March 5, 2016 file photo.
Refugees walk along a beach before trying to travel to the Greek island of Chios from the western Turkish coastal town of Cesme, in Izmir province, Turkey, in this March 5, 2016 file photo. - Sputnik International
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The European Commission has launched the largest EU humanitarian aid program for 1 million refugees in Turkey with an initial budget of 348 million euros ($390 million), the Commission's press service said Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides visited Ankara to take part in the official launch of the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) aid project, which is part of the EU-Turkey migrant deal, and visited a number of facilities for refugees funded by international aid organizations.

"Today in Ankara, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides has launched the EU's flagship humanitarian aid programme, which is set to provide a monthly electronic cash grant to benefit 1 million refugees in Turkey. The Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) aid project has an initial budget of €348 million… As of October 2016, monthly cash-transfers to electronic cards will be given to refugees in need across Turkey," the press service said in a statement.

A migrant girl cries as she waits at a Turkish coast guard station at the Dikili district in Izmir, on March 20, 2016, after being catched with other migrants while trying to reach the Greek island of Lesbos from the Bademli village, western Turkey. - Sputnik International
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According to Stylianides, the launch of the new program is an example of the strong EU-Turkey partnership in finding "new innovative ways" to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

In mid-March, the European Union and Ankara agreed on a deal under which Turkey pledged to take back all undocumented migrants who arrive in the European Union through its territory in exchange for Syrian refugees accommodated in Turkey, on a one-for-one basis. In return, the European Union pledged to provide a total of 3 billion euros to Turkey to help it deal with refugees, with a possible further 3 billion-euro provision in 2018.

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