UNITED NATIONS: United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed his determination to advance the goal of achieving a world “free of the nuclear shadow” in a message on Thursday to mark the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
“Seven decades after the first use of an atom bomb during a conflict, this sombre occasion commemorates the tens of thousands who died that day. It honours the survivors who have suffered severe adversity in the aftermath.
“The United Nations stands with them, resolved to realise their vision of a nuclear weapon-free world,” the UN chief said.
“Your commemoration should reverberate from this city (Hiroshima) across the world, reminding all people of the need for urgent action to eliminate nuclear weapons once and for all,” he added in the message read out at a ceremony in Hiroshima by Kim Won-soo, the UN’s High Representative for disarmament affairs.
Over 200,000 people died of nuclear radiation, shockwaves from the blasts and thermal radiation resulting from bombing of Hiroshima on Aug 6, 1945, and of Nagasaki three days later.
In addition, over 400,000 have died – and are continuing to die – since the end of the Second World War from the impact of the two nuclear bombs.
Ban Ki-moon recalled his visit to Hiroshima five years ago, saying he would always carry with him the painful memories of meeting survivors, witnessing the destruction and seeing the lingering effects of a man-made disaster.