Children of Chernobyl Charities
Humanitarian Aid for Young Victims Living in Ukraine and Belarus
Many charitable organizations are helping provide medical, social, and humanitarian aid to children of Belarus and Ukraine living on the contaminated lands of Chernobyl.
On April 26, 1986, in the Soviet Ukrainian Republic, Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded, spewing large amounts of radiation into the atmosphere. Over the next several days, the winds blew towards the north and east, showering radiation over Northern Ukraine, Belarus, and Western Russia. Cities, villages, and farms were devastated as the radioactivity infiltrated the entire ecosystem including food, drinking water, and the surrounding air.
For the past 20 years, people have slowly returned to the affected area, now known as the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Approximately 300 elderly people have returned to the area in Ukraine. A greater number of people including families with children have been moving back to the area in Belarus. The Belarussian government is implementing a plan to repopulate a larger segment of this area. People living in these contaminated areas have suffered many long-term health issues including cancer. Dedicated to help save the children, many charitable organizations throughout the world have begun providing care and other humanitarian aid for young people affected by the fallout from Chernobyl.
Human Health Issues
The health of people living in this contaminated zone has been severely compromised. Immune systems have been shattered, mutations and infant mortality are on the rise, and thyroid cancer is common. Often due to brain tumors, almost half the children have delayed mental development. In Belaurs, the scar left after a thyroid operation is known as a Belarussian Necklace, forever marking the patient as a Chernobyl victim.
A report by The Chernobyl Forum[1], prepared by United Nations agencies, confirms that "Childhood thyroid cancer caused by radioactive iodine fallout is one of the main health impacts of the accident...." The report, noted that it is impossible to precisely assess the numbers of fatal cancers caused by radiation from the Chernobyl accident, but the possible increase in cancer mortality may reach an additional 4,000 people.
In a controversial 2006 report[2], Greenpeace estimated that the Chernobyl incident is the source for up to 270,000 cancer patients and 93,000 cancer fatalities. The report also states that the death toll in Ukraine and Belarus could reach another 140,000. The incidence of cancer in Belarus increased 40% between 1990 and 2000, with children not yet born showing an 88.5% increase in thyroid cancers.
Aid for the Children of Chernobyl
In response to this health crisis, many charitable organizations have been created in an attempt to provide some care and comfort for children living in these contaminated areas. Many of these organizations use a network of volunteer families in Western countries to provide the children with a respite. Though the children do not speak English, they are accepted into the sponsoring family's homes for up to 8 weeks. By removing the children from the contaminated areas, their immune systems can begin to function normally again and their bodies can more easily fight off the effects of radiation.
The objectives of these organizations include:
- Protect and save children in the affected areas
- Expose the children to healthy food, water, fresh air, and exercise
- Provide high-quality medical supplies
- Monitor health trends and implement preventative care programs
- Conduct educational programs
People can help these organizations by volunteering their time, acting as a host family, or by contributing much-needed funding.
Partial List of Charitable Organizatons
- Chabad's Children of Chernobyl
- Chernobyl Children's Project International
- Children of Chernobyl
- Children of Chornobyl Relief and Development Fund
- Friends of Chernobyl's Children
References
[1] The Chernobyl Forum: 2003-2005. "Chernobyl's Legacy: Health, Environmental and Socio-Economic Impacts and Recommendations to the Governments of Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine" (Second Revised Edition). IAEA.
[2] Greenpeace. (2006). "The Chernobyl Catastrophe: Consequences on Human Health". Greenpeace.
