Some 1,836 quake survivor children reunited with families

ANKARA

More than 1,800 of the 1,914 unaccompanied minors taken under protection after the deadly Feb. 6 earthquakes have been handed over to their families, the Family and Social Services Ministry has announced.

A recent statement made by the ministry regarding unaccompanied quake survivor children in the devastating Kahramanmaraş-centered twin earthquakes in early February highlighted that it registered 1,914 children pulled out of the rubble in the system.

After the identity control and verification of the applicants, 1,836 children have been handed over to their families so far.

The statement also said that the ongoing treatment process of 10 children in hospitals is being closely monitored, and the ministry has taken 56 children whose treatment has been completed into institutional care.

There are still two children in childcare institutions whose identities are not yet known, it added.

Meanwhile, 12 children in the records have unfortunately died while their treatment was ongoing in the hospital.

In addition, as a result of the notifications made to the “Family Information System Disaster Management Child Module,” it was determined that 566 children died during the quakes.

Previously, the ministry took measures to collect every piece of information they could find about the unaccompanied minors and posted it on its website.

All information about the unaccompanied children saved from the earthquake zone, including all identifying characteristics such as hair color, eye color, birthmarks and photographs, etc., were recorded on the system, which people could access by filling out a form.