초대형 태풍 하이옌의 피해를 가장 크게 본 필리핀 레이테주의 타클로반 공항에서 14일(현지시간) 주민들이 탈출용 군 수송기를 기다리는 가운데 줄 앞쪽에 서 있던 한 여성이 멀리 떨어져 있는 남편도 가족과 함께 있게 해 달라고 통제 군인들에게 간청하고 있다. (AP-연합뉴스)
최근 초대형 태풍 하이옌이 강타한 필리핀 피해지역에 널려 있던 희생자 시신들이 서둘러 공동묘지에 매장되면서 인권침해 논란이 일고 있다.
레이테주 타클로반 시당국은 14일 보건부의 지침에 따라 보호자들이 나타나지 않은 시신 등 상당수 희생자 주검을 공동묘지에 매장하기 시작했다.
시신 부패에 따른 악취와 전염병 예방, 나아가 시각적으로도 바람직하지 않다는 판단에서다.
시 당국은 이날 검은색의 시신 수습용 가방에 담긴 희생자들의 주검 30구를 외곽의 공동묘지에 매장했다.
특히 지난 13일에는 팔로 교회 근처에 신원이 확인되지 않은 최소 150구의 시신 들이 집단 매장됐다.
일부 지역에서는 당국이 시신을 처리할 것으로 보고 주변에 널려 있던 시신들을 도로변에 이동시키는 시민들도 목격됐다.
그러나 희생자 시신들을 서둘러 집단 매장할 경우 신원이 제대로 확인되지 않는 등 사자의 존엄성을 침해한다는 비판이 거세게 일고 있다.
특히 세계보건기구(WHO)는 필리핀 보건당국의 이번 조치에 우려를 표명했다.
WHO는 필리핀 보건부에 전달한 '재난상황시 시신처리 매뉴얼'에서 적절한 신원 확인 없이 희생자들을 집단 매장할 경우 인권침해 소지가 있다고 지적했다.
WHO는 특히 집단 매장과 화장 등의 방법을 활용할 경우 신원 확인이 불가능하고 종교, 문화적 신념에도 반한다는 의견을 제시했다.
통념과 달리 널려 있는 시신으로 인해 전염이 이뤄지지 않는다는 점도 강조했다.
WHO는 재해로 사망한 희생자 시신의 경우 사망 직후 체온이 급속히 떨어지는 만큼 아무리 강력한 내성을 가진 박테리아, 바이러스라도 즉시 사멸된다고 지적했다.
에릭 타야그 필리핀 국립 역학연구소 소장도 희생자 시신이 반드시 전염병을 일으키는 것은 아니라고 설명했다.
한편 방재당국은 이날 오전(현지시간)까지 태풍 하이옌으로 인한 사망자 수가 2천357명으로 늘어났다고 공식 집계했다.
실종자도 77명에 달하고 부상자 역시 3천853명에 이르는 것으로 파악됐다.
이에 앞서 베니그노 아키노 대통령은 태풍 하이옌에 따른 인명피해와 관련해 당 초 전망치 1만여명보다 훨씬 적은 최대 2천500명이 사망했을 것으로 추정했다.
<관련 영문 기사>
Typhoon-struck Philippine city begins mass burial
A Philippines city devastated by the typhoon buried some of its dead in a mass grave in a hillside cemetery on Thursday, a small sign of progress in a relief effort that has yet to reach most of the tens of thousands affected by the disaster.
The ceremony took place in a graveyard just outside the city of Tacloban.
No prayers were said as workers buried 30 bodies enclosed in leaking black cadaver bags into the ground.
“I hope this is the last time I see something like this,” said Mayor Alfred Romualdez. “When I look at this it just reminds me of what has happened from the day the storm hit until today.”
Officials said efforts had been made to identify the bodies so families have a chance of finding out what happened to their loved ones in the days and weeks to come, but it was not immediately clear whether this included DNA testing.
Authorities say 2,357 people have been confirmed dead in the disaster, but that figure is expected to rise, perhaps significantly, when information is collected from other areas of the disaster zone. Most casualties appear to be concentrated on coastal regions of two main islands _ Samar and Leyte, where Tacloban is located.
Earlier in the city, soldiers sat atop trucks distributing rice and water, and chainsaw-wielding teams cut debris from blocked roads, indications that relief operations were picking up steam, even as thousands swarmed the airport, desperate to leave.
The first nighttime flights _ of C-130 transport planes _ arrived since the typhoon struck, suggesting air control systems are now in place for a 24-7 operation _ a prerequisite for the massive relief operation needed.
Food, water and medical supplies from the U.S., Malaysia and Singapore sat on pallets along the tarmac.
The U.N.'s World Food Program distributed rice and other items to nearly 50,000 people in the Tacloban area Wednesday. Nearly 10 tons of high-energy biscuits were also delivered to the city on Wednesday, with another 25 tons on the way.
Hundreds of injured people, pregnant women, children and the elderly have poured into a makeshift medical center at the ruined airport. The run-down, single-story building with filthy floors has little medicine, virtually no facilities and very few doctors.
Doctors who have been dealing with cuts, fractures and pregnancy' complications said Wednesday they soon expect to be treating more serious problems such as pneumonia, dehydration, diarrhea and infections.
The medical woes add to the daunting tasks for authorities, including dealing with looters and clearing the bottlenecks holding up thousands of tons of aid material from coming in.
The disaster displaced 600,000 people. Many are living without shelter, hungry and thirsty, with their livelihoods destroyed. Much of the aid _ and the staff needed to distribute it _ remains stuck in Manila and the nearby airport of Cebu, a 45-minute flight away.
“The priority has got to be, let's get the food in, let's get the water in. We got a lot more come in today, But even that won't be enough, We really need to scale up operations in an ongoing basis,” U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos told reporters after touring Talcoban. Her office has released $25 million in emergency relief funds, accounting for a chunk of the millions of dollars pledged by countries around the world.
Some among the desperate residents have resorted to raiding for food. Mobs overran a rice warehouse on Leyte, collapsing a wall that killed eight people. Thousands of sacks of the grain were carted off. But police say the situation is improving on the ground, and there was little sign Thursday of a deteriorating security situation there.
Philippine Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla said it may take six weeks before the first typhoon-hit towns get their electric power back. He said that in Tacloban, order needed to be restored “because if there's no peace and order, it's hard to reinstall the power posts.”
He said army troops had fired shots Wednesday to drive away a group of armed men who approached a power transmission sub-station in Leyte province. The unidentified men fired back then fled. Nobody was hurt.
Gegham Petrosyan, from International Committee of the Red Cross, said destruction along the south cost of Samar island was “massive.”
“People are desperate for life-saving aid,” Petrosyan said. “However, logistical and security constraints continue to hamper the distribution of desperately needed relief.” (AP)
