International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day observed today

Kathmandu. Today is International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day. The United Nations General Assembly declared April 26 as this day by passing a resolution on December 8, 2016.

This day has been observed regularly since 2017. This marks the 40th year since the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

Following the explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, radioactive clouds spread across vast territories of the Soviet Union. These areas now fall within Belarus, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation. The accident exposed 8.4 million people in those three countries to radiation.

According to the United Nations, even after three decades since the Chernobyl accident, serious long-term effects persist, and affected communities still feel the need for support.

Since the Chernobyl accident, the United Nations, along with the governments of Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine, have been advancing efforts for the rehabilitation and development of the affected regions. Following initial humanitarian aid, efforts have focused on making the affected areas safe, reducing radiation risks, providing healthcare to the affected, and conducting continuous studies on health impacts.