Covid-19 Salgını Sırasında Suriyeli Çocukların Yaşam Deneyimleri: Gaziantep Örneği

Abstract

It was announced that the coronavirus/Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus that emerged in 2019 and was first seen in Wuhan, China's Hubei province, was characterized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. The Covid-19 outbreak has had different effects and consequences for different social groups. The main purpose of this phenomenological research is to explore the life experiences of Syrian children during the pandemic. In this context, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 Syrian children aged 12-14 living in Gaziantep. The obtained data was analyzed with MAXQDA 2022 (22.2.1). The findings were discussed within the framework of the rights-based approach, through the rights of children to survival, development, non-discrimination, education, health, participation, access to correct information and rest, leisure time and playing. The results reached within the scope of the research show that the children who are the participants of the research did not have access to the right to education during the pandemic, experienced economic difficulties, took on responsibilities for housework and the care of their siblings during the pandemic, could not get enough parental support in terms of using their spare time effectively. In addition to these they were deprived of the right to play games and participate in cultural and artistic activities, and they were discriminated by their teachers and friends at school. As a result, first of all, it is necessary to prepare customized action plans for vulnerable groups of the population in the face of public health crisis and similar emergencies such as the Covid-19 epidemic. Action plans prepared in a culturally competent manner for Syrian children should be aimed at protecting and improving bio-psycho-social health, economic support of children and their families, and protecting their fundamental rights such as education and equality.