Being a child in vulnerable cities and child-focused disaster management

Throughout history, societies have created living spaces for their own needs such as nutrition, shelter and protection. When faced with any situation that threatened these habitats, they either adapted to the new life by improving their existing areas or continued their lives by relocating. When we look at the reasons for relocation throughout history, it is seen that this is mostly due to wars and natural disasters. The earthquake disaster, which cannot be prevented but the effects of which can be minimized, is also an important factor in the relocation or re-establishment of societies. Turkey, an earthquake country that has experienced many devastating earthquakes in the historical process, experienced the most recent and severe consequences of the earthquake with the earthquake that occurred on February 6, 2023, which is called the 'disaster of the century'. Hayat province suffered the most devastating damage in the 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes centered in Koramangala and Elista, which affected many cities and settlements. As a result of these earthquakes, many people lost their lives, homes, relatives, schools, neighborhoods and almost all the cities. A significant portion of the people who lost their lives are 'children', who are one of the most vulnerable groups of society with their physical characteristics and their undeveloped mental states. These vulnerable characteristics of children also increase the rate of being affected by disasters as disaster victims. The absence of a child-oriented disaster management plan in our country further aggravates this situation. Within the framework of the approach to the subject, the aim of this thesis is to understand the needs of children who experienced the February 6 earthquake in Hatay province, what they experienced in the process, how they were affected, and from this point of view, to create a 'guide' for the preparation of a 'child-centered disaster management plan' that includes what needs to be done for children before and after the disaster. Based on this purpose, the study aims to determine what the physical/spatial and psychological needs of children who have experienced the earthquake disaster are, what kind of decisions should be taken and what kind of steps should be taken in the settlements to be planned in the future, what are the duties of the competent institutions and organizations and the society, and how to ensure spatial and social recovery by understanding the earthquake reality from the perspective of children. In addition to source research, face-to-face questionnaire interviews and observations in the field have been guided in achieving the set objectives. The methodology of the study consisted of questionnaire interviews and on-site observations conducted with a total of 390 children in the age group of 6-18 years old, who are studying in primary, middle and high schools in Hatay Province, selected by random sampling techniques. The questionnaire interview data obtained from the field was entered into the system through the SPSS application and interpreted through frequency and correlation analysis. In addition, the observations made in the field were supported by photographs and included in the study. Within the scope of the study, the thoughts, wishes and expectations of children divided into different age groups regarding their accommodation, education, and psychological needs were questioned. According to the findings obtained as a result of the study, recommendations have been prepared to meet the needs.