News
CEB and EU agree on key refugee health care investments in Turkey
17 December 2020
PARIS/ANKARA – The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) and the Delegation of the European Union to Ankara agreed on a € 90 million investment project in refugee health care infrastructure and services throughout Turkey.
The programme, titled Strengthening Healthcare Infrastructure for All (SHIFA), will entail the construction and renovation of up to 117 migrant health centres, the renovation of up to 110 physiotherapy and rehabilitation units in public hospitals, and the purchase of medical equipment and supplies.
SHIFA will be funded by the European Union (EU) under its Facility for Refugees in Turkey. The project aims to make quality health care services more accessible to refugees and persons eligible for subsidiary protection in Turkey. SHIFA will start in March 2021 for a duration of four years. The CEB will manage the project while the Ministry of Health in Turkey will implement the infrastructure and supply components.
Tomáš Boček, CEB Vice-Governor for Target Group Countries, said: “We are pleased to be able to support Turkey, a founding member of the CEB, in addressing the health care challenges posed by the unprecedented influx of people seeking refuge from rampant violence in their countries. The EU is by far our largest donor and this agreement represents a strong commitment from our side to increase our cooperation and impact for the benefit of the most vulnerable.”
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EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey
The EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey manages a total of € 6 billion and provides for a joint coordination mechanism, designed to ensure that the needs of refugees and host communities in Turkey are addressed in a comprehensive and coordinated manner. The Facility focuses on humanitarian assistance, education, health, municipal infrastructure, and socio-economic support. Details on the Facility are available here.
CEB and EU
The EU is the largest donor to the CEB, with more than € 520 million contributed to the Bank’s trust funds to date. Under the Facility for Refugees in Turkey, in addition to SHIFA, the EU has contributed € 50 million to the construction of a state hospital in Kilis, Turkey.
CEB and Turkey
Turkey was one of the eight Council of Europe member countries that established the CEB in April 1956. Over the past ten years, the CEB has approved more than € 1.7 billion in financing to support investments in MSMEs, sustainable public transport, prevention of natural disasters, and COVID-19 response measures. More information can be found here.
Set up in 1956, the CEB (Council of Europe Development Bank) has 42 member states. Twenty-two Central, Eastern and South Eastern European countries, forming the Bank's target countries, are listed among the member states. As a major instrument of the policy of solidarity in Europe, the Bank finances social projects by making available resources raised in conditions reflecting the quality of its rating (Aa1 with Moody's, outlook stable, AAA with Standard & Poor's, outlook stable, AA+ with Fitch Ratings, outlook stable and AAA* with Scope Ratings, outlook stable). It thus grants loans to its member states, and to financial institutions and local authorities in its member states for the financing of projects in the social sector, in accordance with its Articles of Agreement.
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