Why Edward Murrow call the survivors at buchenwald the living dead?

Edward Murrow referred to the survivors at Buchenwald as the "living dead" to emphasize the profound physical and psychological trauma they endured during the Holocaust. Despite being alive, many exhibited signs of severe malnutrition, despair, and loss of hope, rendering them almost ghost-like in their existence. This stark description highlighted the devastating impact of the concentration camps, illustrating that their survival came at an unimaginable cost to their humanity and spirit.