April 26th was Marked as the International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day
International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day was observed on April 26th in remembrance of the worst nuclear disaster in history.
Chernobyl Incident
The Chernobyl nuclear disaster was a nuclear accident in Ukraine that ranked 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale. It took place on April 26th 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Pripyat. While the explosion itself killed 2 people, the ensuing leakage of radioactive contaminants and radiation claimed many more lives due to radiation poisoning and cancers.
International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day
The UNGA adopted a resolution in 2016 to designate the day as International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day. This was in recognition of the continuance of the accident’s impact on the environment and the community even after more than 3 decades.
Recovery Projects by UN
After the Soviet Union acknowledged the need for international assistance in 1990, the UN established an Inter-Agency Task Force to coordinate the cooperation on Chernobyl recovery projects. In 1991 Chernobyl Trust Fund was created. More than 230 different research and assistance projects in the fields of health, nuclear safety, rehabilitation, environment, production of clean foods and information have been launched since 1986 by UN and major NGOs. In 2009, the ICRIN (International Chernobyl Research and Information Network) was established.
