– / AFP
The body covered with a blanket of a flash flood victim in Derna, eastern Libya, September 11, 2023.
INTERNATIONAL – In Derna, thousands of bodies washed up or rotted under the rubble. In this port city, which was hardest hit by the dramatic flooding in Libya after Storm Daniel, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other humanitarian organizations called on the Libyan authorities to stop burying the mass graves of flood victims. And for good reason, fears about the spread of waterborne diseases are high.
In a statement released on Saturday (September 16), the WHO said the bodies of 3,958 people had been found and identified in Derna and that “more than 9,000 people” were still missing. The number of victims this Sunday exceeded 11,000, although the Red Crescent denies the United Nations estimate.
Contamination from feces
Buried under the rubble, scattered among the ruins, or floating on the water, the remains present a horrific sight that often leads to them being buried as quickly as possible. A UN report cited by Portal shows that more than 1,000 bodies have already been buried in mass graves in Derna.
In general, the remains of victims of a natural disaster do not cause epidemics because people die from injuries, drowning or burns and therefore usually do not carry epidemic-causing organisms, according to the WHO and the Red Cross.
However, emergency experts remind AFP that bodies should not be left near drinking water sources to avoid possible fecal contamination.
If you drink this contaminated water, you then run the risk of diarrhea or other illnesses. Conventional disinfection of drinking water is sufficient to eliminate dangerous germs.
“It is not the body that is the main cause of the risk, but everything that is in the water,” such as mud and chemicals, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told AFP. But after touching a body, you should wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based cleanser.
“Those who survive an event such as a natural disaster are more likely to spread disease than corpses,” emphasizes the head of the ICRC’s medico-legal department, Pierre Guyomarch.
Dignity of corpses
Poor and hasty handling of the dead can also lead to psychological distress and cause legal problems for victims’ relatives, the WHO adds.
The WHO and the Red Cross therefore recommend that the bodies be identified and buried in clearly marked individual graves. It is also important to document and map the burial site to ensure traceability. Ultimately, the cremation of unknown bodies must be “avoided”.
“An unnecessary rush to dispose of the bodies of those killed in disasters or conflict deprives families of the opportunity to identify and mourn their loved ones, while providing no public health benefit,” argued Gwen Eamer, Red’s emergency operations director cross. The UN reports this on its website.
Spraying lime powder on bodies does not make sense because it does not accelerate decomposition and since corpses generally do not pose a risk of infection, there is no need to disinfect them.
Overwhelmed by the flood of bodies, rescue workers in Libya recently called for body bags to be received as quickly as possible.
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