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The groups composed of senior UNDP project people, field teams, representatives of the Hatay Municipality and İlbank, from different departments and affiliated institutions, who are the beneficiaries and partners of the project. Boots on the ground for two days, we all witnessed the progress of an integrated project, that aims to strengthen people, communities and institutions towards sustainable development and resilience.
To begin with, increasing demand for additional public services is challenging for any developing nation, we know it. Sudden increase in population due to natural disasters, complex emergencies or humanitarian crisis, puts more pressure on national and local administrations. Once the crisis hits a region, people naturally seek refuge in a secure environment; sometimes within their countries, sometimes abroad. As a result, cities and their people are now at the forefront in hosting displaced individuals. And providing good quality municipal services is truly difficult, yet crucial for any city.
It is even much harder for the municipalities, to continue providing basic services, where infrastructure, superstructure, service delivery capacities and technical expertise were already stretched before the arrival of the refugees. The sudden influx of population might seriously harm sustainable development efforts. And it might create tension between displaced individuals and their host communities; unless both communities’ needs are satisfied. UNDP is the only UN Agency in Turkey, providing direct support to municipalities on waste management and municipal services, including infrastructure development and technical support. In Hatay, the ratio of the Syrian population accounts for around 25%, the province hosting the largest Syrian population after Istanbul, Şanlıurfa and Gaziantep.