The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is urging the international community to work closely together for the benefit of the millions of people still living in the shadow of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, which took place on 26 April, 1986.
Speaking in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, the country hardest hit by the disaster, the International Federation's Secretary General, Markku Niskala, warned "no one body or agency can do the job alone. The affected people will need our support for many years to come. There must be no let up in our determination to work with them and to meet their needs".
Niskala expressed his hope that the current debate on the effects of Chernobyl would bring all agencies and governments closer together in their efforts to define, design and realize long-term sustainable solutions. "The prime responsibility for care lies with the governments of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, with the support of organizations like the International Federation,” he said.
The role of the Red Cross and Red Crescent was especially prominent at the time of the disaster 20 years ago, when material assistance and social support were immediately provided to affected communities.
Since 1990, the Red Cross' Chernobyl Humanitarian Assistance and Rehabilitation Programme (CHARP) has assisted more than three million people by giving them access to medicine, multivitamins, health information and psychological support. The programme’s six mobile diagnostic laboratories have also screened more than 800,000 people for signs of thyroid cancer and detected 1,120 confirmed cases over the past nine years.
With the support of the International Federation, the Red Cross societies of Belarus, Ukraine and Russia have been working in the most remote and disadvantaged rural areas affected by Chernobyl. When the mobile clinics arrive, it is often the first time that many people have had access to their lifesaving services. "Thyroid cancer is extremely aggressive, but quite easy to treat if an early detection is made," said Niskala. "Our laboratories also provide people with much needed information and hope for the future… They know they have not been forgotten."
According to the United Nations, about seven million people continue to live in highly contaminated areas in Belarus, Ukraine and the Russian Federation. The president of the International Federation, Juan M. Suárez del Toro, reiterated that those communities “must not be neglected”.
“Although current large-scale crises and catastrophes push the humanitarian needs of the victims of older disasters, such as Chernobyl, out of the media limelight, the shadow of Chernobyl still hovers over future generations,” said Suárez del Toro. “The effects of irradiation will continue for many more years and it is imperative to maintain a sustainable screening programme, in order to reduce deaths through early detection,” he concluded.