Natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and conflict environments such as war cause devastating effects for families and more generally for societies. These effects may occur in the form of loss of jobs and lives; also in the form of interruption or complete disappearance of residences and other assets, infrastructure facilities and basic service elements. Although serious economic problems and difficulties are experienced in events such as disasters and wars that create conditions suitable for causing public indignation in the society, it is observed that there are often intense human rights violations, including the right to life. Extraordinary situations such as natural disasters and wars also create extraordinary situations in terms of human rights.
Interruption of transportation and communication systems after the disaster, insufficient availability of professional rescue teams, limited resources which are not reaching people in need, and, even if they do, the inability to reach everyone as needed and in time of need draw attention as the main problem areas. In addition, periods of disaster cause people to be separated from the environment they live in for a long time or permanently, in a way, they are forced to be displaced. Although extraordinary situations such as natural disasters and war do not discriminate between the rich and the poor, there is no doubt that the poorest low-income group and disadvantaged individuals are the class most affected by the events that seriously shake up the social order. Because the groups that can least withstand an economically chaotic environment and carry the effects of the event for the longest time are the vulnerable groups such as the poor and the child, person with disability and the older persons.
Undoubtedly, natural disasters that create social, physical, economic, cognitive problems and occur outside of control, affect each individual at different levels. In addition, individuals who do not have sufficient economic opportunities in these periods cannot even meet their basic nutrition and shelter needs, while children with young age are deprived of even a parent support in terms of their personality development.
It is of great importance that people with disabilities, who are defined as individuals affected by attitudes and environmental conditions that restrict their full and effective participation in society on equal terms with other individuals due to their various levels of loss in their physical, mental, spiritual and sensory abilities, to be prepared for disaster, to have disaster awareness. It is also of great importance to develop disaster management strategies focusing on the special needs of people with disabilities. In these extraordinary times, which require the existence of disaster management plans that are sensitive to disabled individuals, children, older persons and women who have problems in self-care and freedom of movement and which reduce the risk and destructive effects of disasters, the needs and capacities for disadvantaged groups need to be addressed with a holistic approach.
As a result, the heavy losses, economic damage and structural damages caused/may be caused by natural disasters, considering Türkiye's experience in natural disasters, make necessary to produce functional policies that will design the living spaces of each group in the society in social, economic and structural terms and to implement harm reduction practices. In this sense, considering the two earthquake disasters with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6, respectively, the epicenters of which were in Kahramanmaraş, occured 9 hours apart, on February 6, 2023, it is considered that it would be beneficial to conduct studies, at both national and international level, with regard to what kind of problems natural disasters cause in biological, psychological, social and economic life on the basis of human rights for women and vulnerable groups, how these problems differ in the pre-disaster and post-disaster period, how crisis and risk management should be in the context of human rights in these periods, how should the topics of disaster preparedness, response, recovery and risk and harm reduction be evaluated in terms of human rights. In this context, our Institution is planning to organize an International Symposium on Vulnerable Groups in Disaster Periods from the Point of Human Rights Law. Within the scope of the symposium, 5 session titles were determined:
• I. Session - Older persons in Disaster Times
• II. Session - Women in Disaster Times
• III. Session - Children in Disaster Times
• IV. Session - Persons with Disabilities in Disaster Times
• V. Session – The Role of Human Rights Institutions in Disaster Times
Projected Date for the Symposium : 3 May 2023
Location : The Ankara Hotel
Address : Maltepe, Eti Mah., Celal Bayar Blv. No:78/A, 06930 Çankaya/ANKARA
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