NEW YORK, April 26. /TASS/. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has made note of the efforts made by Russia, Belarus and Ukraine in reviving the territories affected by the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, his statement was published on the UN official website on Monday.

"This [35th] anniversary [of the disaster] is an occasion to recognize the recovery efforts led by the Governments of Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine, and the work of scientists who sifted through the evidence to provide important analysis that has informed emergency planning and reduced risks," he stressed. The UN head also recalled that the suffering of people caused by the accident "must not be forgotten."

Guterres added that the UN has been providing aid to people living on territories adjacent to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant since 1986. He particularly stressed, "The number of small-and medium-sized businesses operating in areas directly affected by the disaster has risen from 2,000 in 2002 to 37,000 today." "Thousands of local residents, community leaders and doctors have been trained on health risks and promoting healthy lifestyles," the UN chief added.

"The Chernobyl disaster was contained by governments working with academics, civil society and others, for the common good. It holds important lessons for today’s efforts to respond to the COVID-19

pandemic," he drew links to the current situation in the world.

On Saturday, Dmitry Chumakov, Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, noted that Russia and Belarus are currently implementing a 2019-2022 program of joint actions to revive life on the territories affected by the Chernobyl disaster. The Union State of Russia and Belarus has allocated $13 million from its budget to implement the program.

Chernobyl Disaster

The disaster at the fourth reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant occurred in the small hours of April 26, 1986, contaminating more than 200,000 square kilometers of territory, first and foremost, in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. Around 115,000 people were evacuated from the 30-kilometer affected zone. The subsequent clean-up operation involved more than 600,000 people, about ten percent of whom died, and 165,000 ended up with disabilities.

More than 200,000 square kilometers of land was contaminated, 70% of those was in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.

TASS delivered the first short official message about the disaster on April 28, 1986. Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev addressed the nation only on May 14 to reveal the true scale of what had happened.