Perceived needs and daily stressors in an urban refugee setting : Humanitarian Emergency Settings Perceived Needs Scale survey of Syrian refugees in Kilis, Turkey

The largest number of Syrian refugees in the world are currently hosted in Turkey, with the great majority of them residing in urban settings. This paper presents the findings of The Humanitarian Emergency Settings Perceived Needs (HESPER) Scale survey conducted with the population of urban Syrian refugees in the town of Kilis in south-central Turkey in 2013. The high level and variety of perceived needs and daily stressors shows the magnitude and hardship in the urban Syrian refugee community in Kilis. Issues such as: income/livelihood; clothes, shoes, bedding or blankets; the way aid is provided; being displaced from home; a place to live in; distress; education for your children; and physical health were considered as priorities by most of the HESPER survey participants. A subsequent in-depth participatory assessment in the town of Kilis in February 2014 was useful for better understanding of the expressed needs of the urban Syrian refugee population, designing mental health and psychosocial support interventions and providing recommendations to humanitarian actors.