2 minute read
ICCM In Touch
in touch
Dedicated to our Ukrainian Colleagues
Advertisement
After the last two years, it was difficult to imagine that the world could be in a worse state by Summer 2022. Just as the global pandemic was being brought under control through the mass roll-out of vaccinations against the dreaded Covid-19 virus, Russia, or rather President Putin of Russia, decided to invade their neighbouring country of Ukraine. Putin called this invasion a ‘special military operation’ against Ukraine to eliminate what he called a serious threat and to ‘de-nazify’ the country.
Whatever the alleged reason, the invasion has caused untold devastation and destruction of property, and the senseless loss of innocent lives on both sides. It has also brought the spectre of potential war to Europe, and even the possibility of World War 3 and the use of nuclear weapons. Worrying times indeed.
The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, estimates that there could be 20,000 civilian deaths so far. It is not known how many Russian deaths there have been. There are reports that as the Russians begin to withdraw from the besieged capital city of Kyiv, bodies carpet the streets. Mass graves have been discovered and are being exhumed to try and identify those killed and provide them with a proper burial. News agencies report many incidents of families having to bury their relatives who have been killed as a result of the invasion in makeshift graves. There are also reports that the Russians have been using mobile cremators to destroy bodies in an attempt to hide war crimes. Families may never know what happened to their loved ones.
During such a terrible time, thoughts are with all those affected, but particularly with those who are responsible for burying and cremating the dead in Ukraine – our Ukrainian colleagues. We know that ours is not an easy job in the best of times, but in the worst of times it is unimaginable what our colleagues and the families they serve are going through.
In the event of a war in the UK, our sector will no doubt be tasked with providing burial and cremation solutions in the event of mass fatalities. It is currently unclear what, if any, plans the military have for such a situation; recent conflicts abroad have seen a heavy reliance on civilian organisations to repatriate the dead in a socially acceptable manner. They have done an incredible job; the flag-draped coffins brought into Royal Wootton Bassett are good evidence of this. But conflict on our own soil will bring a different demand, and one which the Government must plan for. Unfortunate though it is, the experience of those in Ukraine who have been involved in burying and cremating their war dead may prove essential in helping to formulate our own plans.
In recognition of our Ukrainian colleagues, and all that they are currently going through, we offer our support and professional kinship and hope that the conflict will end soon and better times will follow.
