Mavi Kalem Sosyal Yardımlaşma ve Dayanışma Derneği Hayata Rengini Kat!
We supported 80 children to access their basic needs and 112 children to access services
On the morning of February 6th, two earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.7 and 7.6 occurred in Kahramanmaraş. According to official data, 50,783 people lost their lives, 115,353 people were injured and 37,984 buildings were destroyed in earthquakes that affected 11 provinces of Turkey. * On February 6th, we started our disaster and emergency response efforts. We focused our support work for people who stay in the earthquake regions in Hatay and Adana, and our efforts for the people who migrated from the earthquake regions in the Marmara region. For detailed information about our work in Hatay and Adana, you can find our reports here.
One of the important areas of support after the earthquake was that the people who migrated from the earthquake regions to different cities, mostly to their relatives or friends, were able to access the services they needed in the cities they relocated in. We directed people who called the MaviKalem Free Consultation Line to the necessary services in the fields of education, health and legal issues in Istanbul and Kocaeli. We provided individual psychological counseling to disaster victims who needed psychological support. We have been providing online psychological support to women and children who have reached us from Hatay since June. In addition, within the scope of the Gender-Based Violence Prevention-Intervention and Child Protection Project, we provided an emergency needs fund support for refugees with international and temporary protection. Until July, with this fund, we supported 67 children and their families to reach their basic needs.
People that migrated from the earthquake affected regions reach us directly by calling the MaviKalem Free Consultation Line or by referrals from the Esenyurt Municipality. After the first meeting, we visit their homes and learn about their living conditions and needs in detail. Rent support, access to basic needs, and psychological support are among the most required support issues. In situations which we determine to be an obstacle for the child’s health and access to education, we provide financial support through the emergency needs fund so that they can access their basic needs. We do not provide cash support. In cases where we cannot use the emergency fund, we direct them to social service centers that can provide the family with rent support, etc. Apart from basic needs, we provide support for the access/transportation to institutions, making appointments, communicating/translating during interviews in the processes of reaching health care, legal and education services. Until July, we provided support to 112 children affected by the earthquake in accessing to health, education, legal services, basic needs and psychological support. As a result of the legal guidance we have made in cases where we have identified a child protection risk, we have extended the road permit documents of many children’s families. As a result of the referrals we made in the field of education and health, many children were enrolled in school and accessed the health service they needed.
Our earthquake emergency fund and referral services for the children who migrated from the earthquake regions to the Marmara region are supported by UNHCR within the scope of the Gender-Based Violence Prevention-Response and Child Protection project.
* 06 Şubat 2023 Pazarcık-Elbistan Kahramanmaraş (Mw: 7.7 – Mw: 7.6) Depremleri Raporu, T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı Afet ve Acil Durum Yönetimi Başkanlığı (AFAD) Deprem ve Risk Azaltma Genel Müdürlüğü Deprem Dairesi Başkanlığı, 2 Haziran 2023.
