Türkiye – TRC/IFRC: Findings of Post-Distribution Monitoring Survey (Round 18) – Navigating Socioeconomic Realities: Insights from Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) III Programme – November 2023 – Türkiye
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Monitoring and Evaluation activities are crucial to strengthening the quality and accountability of the programme. The Post-Distribution Monitoring Survey details the socioeconomic situations of ESSN recipients and non-recipients in Türkiye and plays a vital role in assessing the effectiveness of assistance and its impact on recipient households. The PDM survey collects data at the household level, including income, expenditure, debt, and coping-oriented variables.
To ensure representation at both national and regional levels, a stratified simple random sample is used for data collection between August and October 2023 through remote outbound calls. The PDM surveys are conducted three times a year with approximately 4,000 participant households consisting of earthquake-affected as well as non-affected households. This round marks the conclusion of ESSN III.
The household total income has been affected by earthquakes and growing living expenses in Türkiye, for both families receiving ESSN and those not receiving it. However, families affected by earthquakes have significantly lower incomes, highlighting the need for more livelihood options. In Türkiye, families rely on both skilled and unskilled labour and the ESSN, which results in income disparities across the five regions: Aegean, Anatolia, İstanbul, Mediterranean, and Southeast.
Due to economic hardship, median household spending for ESSN and non-recipient families increased, exceeding the country’s minimum wage. Price increases for food, rent, and utilities were constant.
The median debt for ESSN recipients climbed, with over 75 per cent not paying off their obligations in the month before the research.
Stress-coping strategies like borrowing money and buying food on credit are still used by recipients and non-recipients.
Food security has improved for ESSN recipients and non-recipients, although earthquake-affected families still struggle. A considerable rise in median ESSN debt and debt repayment issues indicate persistent financial constraints.
