Turkish Local NGOs Social Protection Programs for the Refugees during the Covid-19 Crisis: A SWOT Analysis

ABSTRACT

For several decades, many countries implemented a variety of social protection to respond to various socioeconomic challenges and crises. Recently, there is an increase in the implementation of social protection due to the pandemic crisis to support the poor and vulnerable groups to cope with deprivation, poverty, and social exclusion. In some countries, both the government and NGOs execute such programs whilst in others;the NGOs are key actors in delivering social protection support. In the context of the covid-19 pandemic, NGOs could face numerous challenges such as restricted funding due to the global crisis and restriction measures enforced by the countries. This could affect NGOs activities and therefore worsen the living conditions of some vulnerable groups such as the refugees during the pandemic crisis. This study investigates Turkey's local NGOs implementation of Social Protection measures to support the refugees particularly in Istanbul during the covid-19 pandemic. Accordingly, a SWOT analysis was carried out to point out the external and internal factors of local NGOs in implementing the protection measures in the benefit of the refugees during the covid-19 pandemic. The findings showed that local NGOs encountered numerous challenges in implementing social protection measures, which could reduce the effectiveness of executed programs to satisfy the targeting beneficiaries. However, these local NGOs could be key legal instruments for future crises as they have received many volunteer employees, obtained donations from Turkish citizens, and established collaboration with some private and public institutions during the covid-19 crisis.