UN agrees to charity’s call for Chernobyl Day

The United Nations agreed last night to an Irish charity’s call to designate April 26 as UN International Chernobyl Day as a lasting reminder of the world’s worst nuclear accident.

The announcement was hailed by Chernobyl charity crusader, Adi Roche, who made the suggestion during her address to the UN General Assembly earlier this year to mark the 30th anniversary of the accident.

Her call was backed by the Belarusian government, and subsequently by 30 other countries, and the move was finally sanctioned by the UN yesterday.

“This is an acceptance by the UN that the effects of Chernobyl are ‘forever’,” she said.

The world’s worst nuclear accident occurred at Chernobyl in the Ukraine on the morning of April 26, 1986.

The fallout affected the lives of over 7 million people, most living in Belarus, with the effects still being felt today.

Ms Roche, and her charity, Chernobyl Children International, have been working in the Chernobyl affected region for the last 20 years to help those most affected.

During her address to the UN last April, she called for greater worldwide support for the victims of the accident, and for the official designation of April 26 as “International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day”.