Donor-driven and disconnected: Türkiye’s humanitarian workforce at risk

SADIK SÖZER ÇİZMECİ

Over the past decade, Türkiye has emerged as a key operational hub for international humanitarian efforts, especially following the Syrian civil war in 2011 and the devastating earthquakes of February 2023. This rapid influx of international non-governmental organisations, U.N. agencies, and donor-backed humanitarian actors led to the formation of a complex and externally influenced humanitarian ecosystem. While this expansion filled critical gaps in service delivery, it also introduced deep structural and workforce-related challenges that were never fully addressed. Today, these unresolved vulnerabilities have resurfaced with force: In the wake of USAID’s funding suspension, hundreds of humanitarian professionals across Türkiye have lost their jobs — many forced to leave the cities they once relocated to for work, now facing a sudden rupture in both livelihood and professional identity.

Professionalisation without mobility: A structural breakdown

In the early phases of the Syrian response, international NGOs operating in Türkiye prioritised urgent staffing over long-term workforce planning. Recruitment efforts focused on locally available Turkish and Syrian staff

— selected primarily for language compatibility and proximity — rather than sector-specific expertise. This ad hoc, regionally confined hiring approach overlooked the broader national talent pool, and formal recruitment channels such as job platforms and staffing agencies were underutilised. As a result, early workforce structures lacked diversity, sustainability, and strategic depth.

Over time, the sector began to professionalise. INGOs introduced more structured job roles, thematic specialisations and technical training across areas like protection, livelihoods, WASH and CVA. While this signalled a shift towards formalisation, core human resource functions — such as succession planning, leadership development, and long-term career progression — remained limited in scope. Many staff were brought in through fixed-term arrangements, with few structured opportunities for advancement or cross-functional development. Until recently, national professionals — despite years of field experience — were rarely appointed to senior leadership roles. With only a few exceptions, decision-making positions remained concentrated in the hands of international staff aligned with donor and headquarters priorities.

At the same time, recruitment and staffing practices were shaped by donor expectations and institutional preferences rather than local workforce realities. INGOs frequently prioritised technical qualifications and alignment with their own organisational values, often overlooking national labour norms and long-term employability considerations. Instead of fostering an adaptable, future-oriented workforce, the system produced over-specialised professionals whose expertise was narrowly defined by project cycles and donor compliance. Many humanitarian workers gained deep technical knowledge, yet lacked transferable skills necessary for leadership or cross-sector mobility. Today, as portfolios shrink and funding declines, these professionals face growing precarity — trapped between an international aid system they cannot advance in, and a national labour market they were never equipped to re-enter.

USAID suspension and the shifting ground of humanitarian aid in Türkiye

On January 20, 2025, the newly reelected Trump administration issued an executive order titled “Reassessment and Restructuring of Foreign Assistance Programmes,” resulting in a 90-day suspension of all USAID funding. This decision had an immediate and disruptive impact on Türkiye’s humanitarian ecosystem. Dozens of projects were paused, and by March and April, hundreds of humanitarian workers had received termination notices.

This rupture exposed the sector’s deep fragility. Despite over a decade of investment and growth, the system lacked contingency mechanisms to buffer against donor withdrawal. INGOs had become overly reliant on a single funding source, without sufficiently diversifying donors or investing in sustainable human capital infrastructure. The result: a shrinking humanitarian portfolio, stalled operations, and a highly trained yet abruptly displaced national workforce.

Following the formation of Syria's new transitional government on March 29, 2025, led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, significant shifts occurred in the region's humanitarian landscape. The new administration's efforts to centralize authority and streamline operations led to improved access for international aid organizations within Syria. This development prompted many INGOs to relocate their humanitarian programs from Türkiye to Syria, aiming for more direct engagement with affected populations. Consequently, the humanitarian sector in Türkiye experienced further contraction, exacerbating the challenges faced by local humanitarian professionals already impacted by funding suspensions such as the USAID freeze.

An unprotected workforce, facing an uncertain future

The professionalisation of Türkiye’s humanitarian workforce has created a paradox: highly skilled individuals, yet structurally unprotected. Many INGO and IO staff have spent years working exclusively within the humanitarian ecosystem — under donor-driven models that invested little in broader, labour market-relevant skills. Over time, this narrow specialisation has eroded their ability to transition into other sectors.

Now, in the absence of succession planning and transferable competencies, many find themselves unemployed and professionally stranded. Rigid remuneration frameworks tied to short-term project cycles have further compounded this vulnerability, leaving staff unprepared for the volatility ahead. What remains is a generation of humanitarian professionals caught in a system that demanded expertise — but failed to provide a pathway, a safety net, or a future once that system began to collapse.