‘People can enquire about unaccompanied children on website’

ISTANBUL

People can now quickly access the data about the registered unaccompanied children rescued in the Feb. 6 earthquakes by entering necessary information on the Family and Social Services Ministry’s website, Minister Derya Yanık has announced.

Stating that in order to help families find their children after the devastating earthquakes, Yanık said they took all measures to gather all possible information and documents, such as denunciations and photographs, etc., through call center ALO 183, and social media, about the unaccompanied children and made it available on their website.

All info about the children found unaccompanied in the quake zone, including all distinguishing features such as hair color, eye color, birthmarks, photographs, etc., is recorded on the system, which people can access by filling up a form, Yanık said, while explaining the ways to make the search.

These records are then uploaded to the facial recognition software called DerinGÖRÜ, developed by the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK). Based on the information provided by the user, the software helps find the best match.

Yanık said that citizens can also type an identity number or their name and surname on the website to make the search. “If there’s a match, our citizens will be able to make the necessary applications. Those who cannot find their children can also file a missing report on the website,” Yanık said.

Meanwhile, Yanık reported that they have so far handed over 1,314 of the 1,858 unaccompanied minors in the quake zone to their families.

Underlining that 451 children were followed up in hospitals, Yanık said 93 of them were cared for in children’s institutions affiliated with the ministry.

A total of 206 children were matched through the DerinGÖRÜ software and 105 children’s families were contacted.