Day of the Chernobyl tragedy in Belarus

On April 26, Belarus remembers a tragic date in history. 37 years ago, on April 26, 1986, the largest man-made disaster occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The radioactive cloud affected more than 20 countries. But Belarus suffered the most. Pollution of the territory amounted to 23 percent – almost a quarter of the entire area. Huge damage was done to agriculture – about a fifth part of agricultural land was contaminated. 3.5 thousand settlements were affected, in which more than 2 million people lived. Almost half a million residents found themselves in the exclusion zone and were forced to leave their homes. Overcoming the consequences of the disaster has become a national priority. Since 1990, an amount equivalent to $19 billion has been allocated from the budget for the implementation of five state programs. Now Belarus is implementing the sixth program to overcome the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster.