US embassy cable - 05ANKARA2898

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002898 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR PRM/ANE BARTLETT, PRM/A HILL 
CAIRO FOR REFUGEE COORDINATOR 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREF, OTRA, TU 
SUBJECT:  ANKARA - AMBASSADORS'FUND FOR REFUGEES PROPOSAL 
 
 
1. Embassy Ankara requests 27,148 New Turkish Lira 
(approximately $19,962) from the Ambassadors' Fund for 
Refugees to furnish, secure and adapt an existing building 
to provide a woman's women's shelter for refugee and asylum- 
seeker women in Van, Turkey.  The Women's Counseling Center 
(WCC) and UNHCR in Van are cooperating to provide shelter 
and services for victims and survivors of domestic violence 
and sexual assault.  The proposal would re-furbish and equip 
the WCC-run shelter.  It does not cover salaries and rents 
which will be funded by contributions from While the 
European Community and UNHCR. are funding aspects of the 
program, including salaries and rents, this proposal would 
re-furbish and equip the WCC-run shelter itself.  Post 
believes this project would fill a critical gap in refugee 
assistance in Van. 
 
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Description and Justification 
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2. Women in Turkey can and do face targeted gender violence 
with no effective protection.  This problem can be magnified 
in far-flung border regions, such as Van, where governmental 
structures are less developed and societies tend to be more 
conservative.  Van is located in southeastern Turkey and has 
an official population of roughly one-hundred and fifty 
thousand (150,000) residents.  Unofficial figures estimate 
that the population may be double that amount due to the 
high numbers of internally displaced persons, trafficked and 
smuggled individuals, refugees and asylum-seekers.  In Van, 
there is currently no safe haven or shelter for female and 
children victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. 
UNHCR Van operates a small, ill-equipped shelter for asylum- 
seeker and refugee women and children, but it does not have 
the mandate or capacity to offer services to both local and 
refugee women.  As such, the Women's Counseling Center (WCC) 
and UNHCR Van have committed themselves to cooperating to 
create a shelter shelter for for local and refugee women in 
Van. 
 
3.  The proposal is to create a women's shelter in Van that 
will be available for local, asylum-seeker and refugee 
women.  If the project is funded, the United States Embassy 
Ambassador's Fund money will be used as seed money to 
refurbish and furnish the site, which will provide an 
invaluable resource to the women in the region.  Supporting 
the project, As cooperation, UNHCR has agreed to cover 
rental and heating costs of the site for the shelter, until 
alternative funds can be identified, in return for the 
integration of asylum-seekers and refugees into the services 
offered.  This is also a means of integrating asylum-seekers 
and refugees into the society and increasing the awareness 
of the local community of the human side of refugees and 
asylum-seekers. 
 
4. The WCC has identified a site for the shelter, the top 
two (2) floors of the building in which the WCC is 
housedthey are operating the WCC, for such a shelter.  The 
site has five (5) rooms, two (2) bathrooms, space for two 
(2) kitchens and two (2) salons, and space for a play area 
for children.  The site can be furnished with twelvetwelve 
(12) beds, ensuring space for at least twelve (twelve) local 
and refugee women at any one time, and possibly more 
persons, if women are accompanied by their children. The 
proposal is to locate the shelter above the WCC to ensure 
access to services and resources, including counseling, 
referral, training and advice, for the women residing in the 
shelter.  There is also a measure of security provided by 
being located above the WCC as the police and local security 
are familiar with the WCC and available to respond promptly 
should the need arise. 
 
5. If the proposal is funded, the WCC and UNHCR will 
approach the Municipality of Van to seek assistance from the 
Municipality of Van with the shelter in accordance with the 
Law of Municipalities that entered into force on 24 December 
2004.  The end goal of the shelter is to eventually to hand 
the shelter over to the Municipality to run in accordance 
with the Law of Municipalities. 
 
 
6. The Women's Counseling Center (WCC) began in December 
2004 with project funding from the European Community under 
the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights for 
the Van Women's Association.  The aim of the WCC is to help 
vulnerable women by providing basic legal, medical and 
social information, counseling and referrals to appropriate 
institutions or organizations for assistance and protection 
of their basic human rights.  The target beneficiaries are 
victims of violence, internally displaced persons, asylum- 
seeker, refugees and trafficked women, as well as 
professionals and volunteers working with these groups. The 
WCC is undertaking a number of project activities, including 
legal and medical counseling, psychological advice and 
psycho-social support, skills training, training on women's 
rights and gender issues, and awareness raising in the 
community.  The WCC staff consists of: two (2) 
psychologists; a Kurdish interpreter; a Farsi interpreter; 
oneone (1) social worker; one (1)one Doctor; one (1)one 
Lawyer; and three (3) general staff.  As part of the 
European Community project, the WCC is in partnership with 
the Van Bar Association and the Human Rights Counseling 
Center and all three (3) organizations have strong ties and 
referral and information-sharing mechanisms with UNHCR Van. 
 
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Evaluation 
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7. Internal Eevaluation will be conducted throughat multiple 
levels by the WCC itself, by UNHCR and by the Embassy in 
collaboration with WCC and UNHCR. 
 
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Grant Officer 
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8. Post certifies that it has the authority and the capacity 
to award grants to the intended recipient. 
 
 
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Cost 
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89.  The U.S. contribution would not be used for start-up 
costs only.   There will be no ongoing commitment.  Sstaff 
salaries.  Salaries will be provided through the European 
Community program. 
 
910. The requested U.S. contribution would be used as 
follows: 
 
ITEM           QUANTITY  PRICE     TOTAL (YTL) 
Central Heating     1    8,350     8,350 
Construction*            2,500     2,500 
Security Alarm      1    2,000     2,000 
Security Bars       10   250       2,500 
Refrigerator        2    500       1,000 
Stove               2    300       600 
Sofa Set            2    500       1,000 
Bed                 12   100       1,200 
Mattress            12   100       1,200 
Blanket             20   30        600 
Sheet Set           20   50        1,000 
Miscellaneous                      5,198 
Furnishings and 
Equipment 
(under $500 each item total) 
 
                    TOTAL YTL      27,148 
                    TOTAL USD      19,962 
 
*Construction to include installing central heating, 
installing alarm, installing security bars, and repairing 
the interior of the premises, 
 
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Publicity 
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11. To the extent possible, Embassy will arrange for 
publicity of the grant to highlight the USG's support for 
refugees in Turkey. 
 
Edelman