Remarks by Ambassador John E. Herbst
On the Occasion of the Humanitarian Airlift to Commemorate
The 20th Anniversary of the Chornobyl Disaster
April 20, 2006 at the Boryspil Airport
I feel privileged to join the First Lady of Ukraine, the representatives of the Ukrainian Government, the Children of Chornobyl Relief and Development Fund (CCRDF) and my colleagues from the U.S. Department of State, in welcoming this medical airlift delivering life-saving medications and supplies to Ukrainian patients suffering from the effects of Chornobyl.
The 20th Anniversary of Chornobyl is a time for remembrance. The horrible accident affected millions of lives and caused great suffering in Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and throughout Eastern Europe. The effects are still with us today. However, this anniversary is also a time to recognize past and future action. Americans have helped, and are continuing to help the victims of this disaster in Ukraine and Belarus.
In commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear accident, the Department of State is sponsoring and funding this humanitarian medical airlift to Ukraine. The airlift is being carried out in partnership with the CCRDF and in cooperation with the Cuban-American Community's Children Health Initiative.
This airlift contains $1.7 million in life-saving medicines, medical supplies, and medical equipment that will be distributed to the CCRDF's partner hospitals. These hospitals treat those Ukrainians suffering from the effects of Chornobyl, many of them children, in 11 oblasts, including Dniepropetrovsk, Volyn, Ivano-Frankivsk, Rivne, and Chernihiv.
In this way, the United States government, our citizens, private and corporate donors, and the CCRDF, continue to demonstrate their ongoing commitment to the people of Ukraine. We recognize the long-term medical consequences of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster, and the shortages of vital medications in many Ukrainian hospitals. I want to particularly thank Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Valentyn Snisar for his assistance in making certain this shipment of medicine reaches the needy without any bureaucratic hurdles.
Since 1992, the U.S. Government, under the Department of State's "Operation Provide Hope," has delivered $582 million in donated and Department of Defense humanitarian commodities to the people of Ukraine using $43.5 million in FREEDOM Support Act (FSA) funding. This assistance was transported in over 5,000 surface shipments and 74 air shipments.
Approximately one-half of this assistance -- in the form of medicines, medical supplies and equipment, clothing, and food -- has been targeted to victims of the Chornobyl accident, especially children. The U.S. Government also invested nearly $12 million in health programs related to the aftermath of Chornobyl. Children received screening and treatment for mental and physical illnesses. A breast cancer awareness campaign filled the Ukrainian airwaves. Cancer patients took advantage of a new support network of NGOs and modern cancer treatments.
Our assistance included two specific Department of State airlifts in April 1996 and April 2001 commemorating the 10th and the 15th anniversaries of the Chornobyl accident.
These humanitarian projects represent the best of American initiative and generosity. It is a partnership between the public and private sectors to provide medical assistance where it is needed.
We look forward to collaborating with the Government of Ukraine in our continued efforts to alleviate the effects of the Chornobyl disaster and to prevent future ones.