Ukraine
Commemorates Chernobyl Victims,
Hopes to Heal Radioactive Lands
Thu Apr 25
By MARINA SYSOYEVA, Associated Press Writer
KIEV, Ukraine - Ukrainian officials and families of Chernobyl's victims
on Thursday mourned those killed and sickened by the nuclear disaster
16 years ago, amid a government push to revive lands it contaminated
with radiation.
The Chernobyl nuclear power plant was the site of world's worst atomic
catastrophe on April 26, 1986, when its reactor No. 4 exploded and sent
radioactive clouds over Europe. Vast areas of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia
suffered most. The plant was closed down for good in 2000.
On the eve of the 16th anniversary of the accident, dozens of lawmakers,
officials, students and relatives of the victims laid flowers under
a heavy rain at a memorial to Chernobyl victims' memorial in the capital
Kiev, a soaring statue of five falling metallic swans.
Tetiana Suprunova's husband was among first to help extinguish the
fire that broke out at the exploded reactor. "He was only 36 years
old when he died of (radiation-related) diseases ... I would not wish
such a misfortune on anybody."
The requiem took place amid government plans to start rebuilding territories
around Chernobyl. All land within 30 kilometers (18 miles) of the nuclear
plant was evacuated soon after the accident and has been closed off
to outsiders for years.
The first ideas came several months ago from a United Nations (news
- web sites)' report, which urged a refocusing of international aid
efforts on developing Chernobyl's infrastructure rather than on humanitarian
aid.
Volodymyr Kholosha, a government official in charge of the Chernobyl
zone, said the government's plans include economic development and soil
study and management. He said it's expected to be approved by the parliament
this year.
However, representatives of non-governmental Chernobyl victims' groups
expressed skepticism about redeveloping the isolated zone earlier this
week, stressing that victims' social needs should be the government's
first priority.
Emergency Situations Minister Vasyl Durdynets said Wednesday the current
social arrears to Chernobyl victims are 635 million hryvna (dlrs 117
million), according to the Interfax news agency. Budget spending for
Chernobyl needs is 2.14 billion hryvna (dlrs 396 million) this year,
which is 301 million hryvna (dlrs 55.5 million) more from spending in
last year's budget.
Ukraine's post-Soviet government estimates that the accident affected
3.3 million Ukrainians, including 1.5 million children. They need special
social support because of health problems or because they were forced
to evacuate their homes in the contaminated zone.
Tens of thousands of people disabled by Chernobyl-related illnesses
suffer from insufficient health care, and 25,000 evacuated families
are waiting for housing, according to Durdynets.
