4 million victims: Shocking facts about the legacy of nuclear testing
The nuclear explosions the world has witnessed since the mid-20th century were not merely isolated military events, but rather a long-lasting environmental and humanitarian catastrophe that continues to claim lives to this day. A recent report by the Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) reveals horrifying facts about the dark legacy of nuclear weapons testing, confirming that these explosions have caused the deaths of at least four million people worldwide due to cancer and other chronic radiation-related illnesses.
A history of destruction: 2,400 nuclear tests
From 1945 to 2017, the Earth witnessed more than 2,400 nuclear tests conducted by nine countries possessing this deadly weapon: the United States, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea. While most of these countries ceased direct testing, Pyongyang has continued this practice since the 1990s. Experts indicate that the historical context of these tests, particularly during the Cold War, was driven by a frenzied arms race with little regard for the long-term environmental and health consequences that future generations will bear.
Health effects: Toxins in bones and DNA
The report explained that the devastating effects are not limited to the moment of the explosion, but extend to include serious genetic changes. Magdalena Stawowski, a professor of anthropology at the University of South Carolina, confirmed the shocking fact that “every human being alive today carries radioactive isotopes from nuclear tests in their bones.” Scientific evidence indicates that exposure to ionizing radiation damages DNA, increasing rates of cancer, heart disease, and birth defects. Alarmingly, women and girls are 52% more likely to experience the cancer-causing effects of radiation than men, thus compounding the suffering in affected communities.
Live testimonies from human “guinea pigs”
The tragedy is embodied in the stories of survivors, such as Henamuera Cross, a Tahitian parliamentarian who lived near French testing sites in Polynesia. Cross recounts how she was diagnosed with leukemia, while the women in her family suffered from thyroid cancer, describing what happened as “systematic poisoning,” with the local population treated like “guinea pigs.” Government propaganda at the time focused solely on the economic benefits, ignoring the actual bombs, which were hundreds of times more powerful than the one dropped on Hiroshima.
Environmental and regional disasters: from the Pacific Ocean to the Algerian Sahara
The damage is not confined to a specific region. In the Pacific Ocean, the American Castle Bravo test in the Marshall Islands caused an entire island to evaporate and fall as radioactive snow on the population. In our Arab region, specifically in Algeria, France continues to conceal precise maps of the radioactive waste left behind by its tests in the Sahara, hindering cleanup efforts and the protection of the population. Reports confirm that the lack of transparency and the secrecy imposed by nuclear states prevent victims from receiving healthcare and fair compensation, exacerbating the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
This report comes as a global alarm bell at a time when some major powers are hinting at the possibility of resuming nuclear testing, placing the international community before a moral and legal responsibility to prevent a recurrence of these tragedies and ensure a world free from the nuclear threat.
