iNFORMATION NEEDS

This KAP assessment tells us what people know about COVID-19, how they feel and their actions to prevent the disease. It identifies knowledge gaps, beliefs, or misperceptions that can facilitate people’s understanding and behaviour. It also assesses what community would like to know more about COVID-19 and how they prefer to contact TRCS to ask questions or share feedback. Knowing what information people have heard already, how they reacted to it and why they might be resistant to change can help develop targeted messaging and engage in dialogue with communities to promote positive behaviour. The findings of KAP assessment can guide adjustments to ongoing interventions and improve the quality and accessibility of services for the communities.

Information needs & communities’ preferred channels to receive information and share feedback with TRCS are assessed to understand what information communities need to know now or want to know about COVID-19 and their preferred communication channels to receive that information and how they prefer to contact TRCS to ask questions or share feedback.

What information do you need right now about the new Coronavirus?

How would you prefer to receive information about the Coronavirus from TRCS?

Over half of survey respondents said they would prefer to receive information on COVID-19 from TRCS by phone (56.7%), but other channels that would also be welcomed were SMS (26.7%), TRCS Facebook (17.3%) and TV (12.2%). Refugees showed a stronger preference for phone (32.1%), TRCS Facebook (11.9%) and WhatsApp (8.1%) than respondents from the host population. People from host communities however, showed a stronger preference for SMS (14.8%), TV (7.4%) and TRCS Instagram, Twitter, website and TRCS staff and volunteers (15.3%).

These findings are similar to the previous assessment, although, there was a stronger preference for WhatsApp (20.3%) earlier compared to this round (11.9%). There were no significant differences in the way men and women preferred to receive information in this assessment. However, women respondents showed a slightly greater preference for phones and SMS, while men preferred TRCS Facebook and WhatsApp.

FGD participants suggested several different channels through which they would like to receive information about COVID-19. Many of these were similar to that of the previous KAP assessment. Social media platforms (WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube) were mentioned by participants as one of the most preferred ways to get information where audio, video, and visual information materials in different languages can be posted. Other channels preferred were TV, SMS, phone calls, brochures, and official websites of the Ministry of Health and TRCS. Online seminars or live sessions through conferencing platforms organized by TRCS were also suggested as ways to raise awareness among people.

Face-to-face interaction to receive information was mentioned by participants in several locations such as in Adana, Bağcilar, Sultanbeyli, Kayseri and Mardin. In addition, household visits were suggested as being particularly useful to share information with older people.

Refugee participants in Bağcilar, Kocaeli and İzmir suggested using WhatsApp groups to disseminate information on COVID-19. It was recognised that while social media was popular among young people, television was more accessible for older people. As in the previous KAP assessment, participants stressed that video and visual information was more effective than written information, especially for children and older people. They suggested that more information materials on COVID-19 and key messages addressing rumours should be developed by TRCS in different formats and languages including Arabic for wide dissemination in the communities.

FGD participants said videos or infographics could be displayed on billboards in the streets or announcements made to remind people about taking precautions in crowded places could be quite effective. In Konya, participants suggested TRCS share information about COVID-19 on television to raise awareness and motivate people to adopt safer behaviours.

What language would you prefer to receive the information in?

Regarding the preference of language to receive information from TRCS, respondents from host communities preferred Turkish and Arabic remains the main preferred language to receive information in for the refugees. Only a few respondents mentioned other languages including English, Kurdish and Farsi.

Similar to the survey findings, the majority of the FGD participants mentioned they preferred to receive information in Turkish, Arabic and English. In Mardin, Gaziantep and Adana, some preferred Kurdish while in Konya, some mentioned Persian. In İzmir, respondents added that sign language would be beneficial for those with hearing impairment.

Do you follow TRCS social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube) and website to get information about the Coronavirus? Which platform?

When asked if respondents follow TRCS social media channels or visit the website, 25.6% of the host population answered ‘’No’’ compared to 21.6% of refugee participants. Just over a quarter of refugees, 27.7%, said they did follow TRCS social media channels or had visited the website compared to 15.7% of people from host communities. Among those who follow the TRCS social media platforms (1,682 respondents), a greater proportion of refugees visit the TRCS Facebook and Community Centre Facebook pages (69.2%) than people from host communities (20.9%). The TRCS Instagram and Twitter accounts both the general account and the Community Centre account, are more popular with people from the host communities (34.7%) than with refugees (19.3%). Facebook, both general account and the Community Centre page, was more popular among men (47.5%) than women (43.3%), while the general and Community Centre Instagram accounts were more frequently used by women (18.2%) than men (14.1%).

Compared to the previous round of the assessment (45.6%), less people are following the TRCS social media and website now (43.8%) and the host population still remains behind the refugees in viewing these platforms.

If YES, WHICH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS DO YOU FOLLOW?

If not or sometimes, what are the reasons?

The main reason people (2,158 respondents) gave for not following these social media channels was that they did not know about them. This lack of awareness was higher amongst people from the host population (23.4%) than amongst refugees (17.2%). This was also higher for women (22.6%) compared to men (18.4%). Other reasons given were not using social media (26.7%) or following other platforms (23.2%), and that the content shared was not relevant to their needs (4.8%). ‘’I do not use social media’’ and ‘’I follow other platforms’’ were newly added options in this round and were the second and third most popular responses to this question.

The survey findings were broadly confirmed by FGD participants. Although several refugee respondents said they follow TRCS social media channels, the majority of participants from the host population said that they were not aware of the TRCS social media channels and website, or that they had been providing COVID-19 information.

Among refugee participants who said they followed TRCS social media platforms, Facebook was most popular, followed by Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Instagram and Twitter were more widely used by respondents from the local host community.

Refugee participants mentioned they encountered different challenges in accessing these social media platforms, such as language barrier, lacking internet facilities, not having a social media account or a smartphone. Some participants from the host community in Kahramanmaras and Mersin also informed about lacking internet facilities as one of the main challenges to access information.

Respondents in Gaziantep, Kilis, Konya and Kayseri reported that they were unaware about TRCS Community Centre social media platforms, or that information in TRCS social media was available in Arabic. Some respondents in Mersin, Bağcilar and Sultanbeyli said that they received information from the Ministry of Health or followed other social media platforms and did not need to receive information from TRCS social media.

If you wanted to ask questions or share feedback with TRCS on the Coronavirus, how would you prefer to do so?

Almost three-quarters of survey respondents said they would prefer to contact TRCS over the phone (73.3%) to ask questions or share feedback. This preference is slightly higher for refugees (38.4%) than people from host communities (34.5%), while women (38.8%) showed a slightly stronger preference than men (34.6%) for this option. Compared to the host population, refugees also preferred WhatsApp (9.0%), the TRCS Facebook page (8.6%), and face-to-face interaction at the TRCS Community Centre (5.0%) more. Phone was also the most preferred channel to contact TRCS in the previous assessment.

As in the first round of the KAP assessment, most FGD participants preferred to contact TRCS by phone and WhatsApp to ask questions or share feedback about COVID-19. Other channels mentioned included using the 168 call centre number, SMS or e-mail, TRCS Facebook or other social media, or a separate TRCS webpage on COVID-19.

Face-to-face interaction by visiting TRCS Community Centres or meeting its staff or volunteers were also another preferred channel mentioned by FGD participants in several locations such as in Ankara, Gaziantep, Adana, Kahramanmaras, Mersin, Sanliurfa. They added that online meetings via Zoom or Skype were also useful to ask questions and share key concerns of their community.

Respondents in İzmir stressed that Advisory Committee meetings had been quite effective in interacting and sharing feedback with TRCS. Some participants in Bursa, Kocaeli and Kayseri mentioned that WhatsApp groups can be useful to ask questions and communicate with TRCS directly. They also highlighted that TRCS should clearly inform people about the accessible communication channels so that they can contact TRCS easily.

Do you have any comments or feedback about COVID-19 that you would like to share with us?

FGD participants said they recognized TRCS’ efforts in responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. They said that the online consultation/FGDs, as part of the KAP assessment, was useful and were happy to participate in the discussion about COVID-19.

‘’These online meetings are very useful for us. We are happy to join the discussion and share our views on behalf of our community,’’ said refugee respondents in Adana.

Ten months into the pandemic, there are still many people who lost employment and participants suggested TRCS could provide assistance to those who have become unemployed. They also recommended that TRCS should organise more online information sessions on COVID-19, preventive measures, and hygiene promotion for communities. In addition, further information materials on COVID-19 and other online activities for children, in different languages including Arabic, should be developed, and organised to explain the risks and preventive measures.

‘’We would like to request the Community Centre to conduct more online information session and educational activities on COVID-19,’’ said refugee respondents in Mersin.

Participants said that the need for masks, hygiene kits and psychosocial support in the community is still quite high. They suggested that TRCS should distribute more masks and hygiene parcels and increase psychosocial support through online sessions to those affected or in need. Participants also stressed that ‘’lock down’’ and other stringent measures should be enforced by the local authorities to reduce the spread of the disease.

Local community respondents in Adana said that disinfection and provision of masks at schools should be ensured for children when they are going to school. They suggested TRCS support this through the distribution of disinfectants and masks at schools. Although children are accessing distance learning at home through online platforms, participants said the COVID-19 situation had impacted their children’s education negatively as they are not able to go to school like in normal times. In Sanliurfa, refugee respondents mentioned challenges in accessing distance learning programmes due to a lack of internet facilities and computers.

‘’Anxieties are noticeable among children as well. Closing schools for prolonged periods of time have had an impact on children’s mental wellbeing. Hence various online activities are also necessary to keep them active and motivated,’’ said respondents in Kayseri.