Winnipeg, MB - Today marks the 24th anniversary of one of the world’s worst ecological catastrophes – the Chornobyl nuclear disaster. Ukrainians around the world are commemorating this solemn date – a disaster which according to the International Atomic Energy Agency was 400 times more potent than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
Ukraine, Belarus and surrounding countries suffered significantly as a result of this nuclear explosion which impacted millions of men, women and children, and had serious implications for much of the world. Ukraine, the land and its’ people to this day face an environmental crises of enormous proportions. This was also a human tragedy, resulting in large-scale displacement of populations, the contamination of vast areas of land, and the loss of livelihoods. These far reaching consequences may never be fully recognized or understood.
Over the past 24 years, thousands of people in Ukraine have died from diseases related to the explosion at Chornobyl and tens of thousands more continue to suffer from numerous debilitating and chronic health problems.
“Although Chornobyl’s human and environmental toll may never be fully known, all possible efforts need to continue for public health protection”, stated Paul Grod, UCC President. “This disaster stands as a warning to the entire global community and we must ensure that such a catastrophe never occurs again.”
Today, with Ukrainians around the world, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress solemnly remembers the victims of this tragedy.
