WHO: Mass burials violate human rights

Unable to bear the stench and sight of unclaimed cadavers in the streets, and fearful of possible health hazards, local officials have begun burying them in mass graves.

However, the World Health Organization cautioned the country's Department of Health (DOH) against mass burials. According to the WHO's "Management of Dead Bodies in Disaster Situations" manual sent to the DOH, immediate mass burials without proper identification may violate some rights.

"Burial of bodies in common graves or the use of mass cremation is unnecessary and a violation of the human rights of the surviving family members," it said.

WHO added that "practices such as the use of common graves or cremation make identification impossible, besides violating religious and cultural beliefs." The agency stressed that identification of bodies should be done "so that the desires and the customs of the families are respected." It noted that the rights of ethnic communities, which are protected by law, may also be violated by mass burials.

"Indigenous communities tend to practice ancestral customs with regard to death that are different from the most popular Western religions, and that are intrinsic to their cultures and traditions," it added. WHO also stressed that contrary to common knowledge, the threat of infections from exposed corpses is limited.

"When death is the result of a disaster, the body does not pose a risk for infection," it said, stressing that "victims should never be buried in common graves." Communities in Palo, Leyte have put up messages and signs asking authorities to remove the bodies for fear these will cause an outbreak of diseases.

"Paki-kuha ang patay, magkakasakit na mga tao dito. (May) 30 patay sa St. Peter, agnas," read one message. The mass burial of at least 150 bodies, none of whom have been identified, near a church in Palo caused some families added grief. Jinky Adel, together with relatives, struggled to bury their grandmother in a cemetery.

"Ayaw naming masama sa mass grave, kaya naghanap kami ng paraan para mailibing namin [ang lola ko]," she said. Other residents opted to line up bodies along the sidewalk in the hopes the government would come to pick up the corpses. However, the WHO said body temperatures drop quickly after death.

"Even the most resistant bacteria and viruses die quickly in an animal that has died recently. This makes it extremely difficult for microorganisms to transfer from dead bodies to vectors, and from vectors to human populations," it said. National Epidemiology Center director Dr. Eric Tayag concurred, explaining that dead bodies do not necessarily cause epidemics after a natural disaster.

"Ganito 'yan: 'Pag 'yung dumi na lumabas mula sa bituka ng dead bodies ay napunta sa sources of water, 'yun ang contamination. But, as it is, it will not spread disease," he told GMA News Online on Tuesday.

WHO said every effort must be taken to identify the bodies. However, "as a last resort, unidentified bodies should be placed in individual niches or trenches, which is a basic human right of the surviving family members." — JDS/ELR, GMA News

source: www.gmanetwork.com