It’s an unfortunate reality that shortly after one toddler was washed ashore, a sea of families met an untimely death in their ongoing search for safety.
In September, the world came to a grinding halt when a Syrian toddler washed up on the shore of Turkey.
Image: Wall Street Journal
Aylan, and his family, dreamt of a better life. Taking a boat didn’t work out in their favour. There was no turn in the tide of their fortunes.
Unfortunately, the media’s attention did soon turn again, and now there’s a new fact about Syrian refugees that will stop you in your tracks.
A detailed report on Mashable has discovered that so many bodies of refugees have washed ashore the Greek island of Lesbos, that the city’s morgue is now full as of October 28th.
Refugees’ bodies have now claimed every space, with a special refrigerated container now sitting outside the morgue’s doors, housing 60 more bodies waiting on burials – including that of 20 children.
The Greek island is nestled as a half-way point between Syria and the rest of Europe, making it a destination landmark for refugees fleeing for a better life in Europe.
Unfortunately, the risks taken in securing safety don’t always pay off, and now local volunteers on the island are taking it upon themselves to perform funeral rites on bodies according to Muslim traditions.
Theodorus Nousius, the head mortician at the morgue, told Mashable that the worst part of his job is handling the mounting number of dead children that continue to wash ashore, having drowned because they were too young and unable to swim:
“It’s babies. It’s children. It’s boys. It’s girls.
“It’s better for me not to have work.”
Local volunteers on the ground expect fatalities to increase with the onset of winter, as food, blankets and supplies are becoming increasingly short on the ground.
For more information on how you can get involved and lend your support, visit Amnesty International Ireland here.
