Proper Management of Burial Operations: Tools and Information for Communities

2023-09-15 22:00:14

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (the International Federation), the International Committee of the Red Cross (the International Committee) and the World Health Organization have stressed that “the massive increase in the number of deaths due to disasters and conflicts generates unfounded fear.” “It is important that communities are equipped with the tools and information they need to manage bodies safely and with dignity.”

The union, the committee, and the organization explained in a statement, “When many people are killed as a result of natural disasters or armed conflicts, the presence of these bodies creates anxiety among the affected local communities. Some of these communities may bury the bodies quickly, such as burying them in mass graves, for example, seeking to To deal, albeit partially, with this concern, or because it sometimes fears that these corpses pose a threat to health,” stressing that “this approach may cause harm to the population.”

She pointed out, “Although local authorities and communities may be under tremendous pressure to expedite the burial of bodies, mismanagement of these bodies causes long-term psychological disturbances for family members, and social and legal problems. Proper management of burial operations includes the use of documented individual graves.” “It is well-shaped and easy to trace. It is located in clearly marked burial sites. This allows one to know the specific location of each body and the information and personal belongings associated with it.”

She also stressed that “the bodies of people who died after sustaining injuries in a natural disaster or armed conflict do not, except rarely, pose any health risk to local communities. This is because the bodies of victims who died as a result of exposure to trauma, drowning, or fire do not usually harbor living organisms.” “It causes diseases, if the necessary precautions are taken. This excludes deaths resulting from infectious diseases such as Ebola, Marburg or cholera, or when the disaster occurs in an area where such infectious diseases are endemic.”

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