Evaluation of the resources and services provided to disaster sufferers who migrated to Uşak due to the 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake from a social work perspective

This study aims to examine the Kahramanmaraş earthquake of February 6, 2023, from a social work perspective and to assess the adequacy and effectiveness of the services and assistance provided to disaster victims following the disaster. In this study, disaster victims evaluated the services and assistance they received, from their location at the time of the disaster to the province of Uşak, where the study was conducted and where the migration took place. The pre-, post-, and nature of the migrations were also examined from a social work perspective. The study, using qualitative research methodology, was conducted through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 24 earthquake victims residing in Uşak province between May and June 2024. The data obtained in the study were analyzed descriptively, interpreted, and conveyed. Using the data obtained from the study, resources and services provided to disaster victims were evaluated, deficiencies were identified, and successful practices were identified and highlighted for improvement. The study aimed to emphasize the role of social services in disaster management, describe the problems faced by displaced people, and shed light on the role of social services in providing solutions at all stages. The findings revealed that participants were generally unprepared for disasters, did not participate in awareness programs, and the vast majority felt no need for precautions or training after the earthquake. The majority of participants evaluated the basic interventions during the earthquake as inadequate but positive, and interpreted the post-earthquake period as a management failure. It was observed that the earthquake-affected participants continued their lives in Uşak, where they migrated, without experiencing any problems and had no difficulty adapting to their current city.