Kiev, Ukraine — A new Greenpeace report, with input from 52 scientists from around the world, reveals that official estimates of the health impact from the Chernobyl catastrophe have been hugely under estimated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). (1)
The report, “Chernobyl Catastrophe Consequences on Human Health”, is published in the run up to the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. Although large uncertainties remain on the full consequences of Chernobyl, results of recent studies (included in the report) featured in the report estimate that over 250,000 cancers and nearly 100,000 fatal cancers will be caused by the accident. The report challenges the IAEA Chernobyl Forum report’s prediction of 4,000 additional deaths attributable to the accident as a “gross simplification of the breadth of human suffering” (2).
"It is appalling that the IAEA is whitewashing the impacts of the most serious nuclear accident in human history" said Ivan Blokov of Greenpeace. "Denying the real implications is not only insulting to the thousands of victims, but it also leads to dangerous recommendations and the relocation of people in contaminated areas. The IAEA cannot remain as the world’s nuclear watchdog if it cannot at least admit that nuclear power is responsible for the impact on those whose life it scarred forever”.
The data, based on Belarus national cancer statistics, predicts approximately 270,000 cancers and 93,000 fatal cancer cases will be caused by Chernobyl (3). The report also concludes that on the basis of demographic data, during last 15 years, 60,000 people have died additionally in Russia because of the Chernobyl accident, and estimates of the total death toll for Ukraine and Belarus could be another 140,000 (4).
These conclusions contrast sharply with the misleading claims of the IAEA. By not specifying that the 4,000 fatal cancers were only referring to the specific and relatively small group of 600,000 people, who included the so-called 'liquidators' (people sent in to ‘clean up’ after the accident) and those relocated after the accident, the IAEA release hid the true scale of human impact of Chernobyl. In fact, at least 2 billion people have been subjected to the radioactive fallout of the accident. The IAEA report also omitted non-cancer impacts and tried to explain many illnesses as 'radiophobia' whereas clear medical evidence exists of the direct psychological impact of radiation exposure (on e.g. the thyroid gland which has a direct relation to psychological well-being).
Solid evidence also exists that the accident had an immensely disruptive impact on the health of millions of people across a large area of the world. Apart from the direct impact of the radiation, the health of those in the Ukraine, Belarus and Russia were also seriously impacted by a complex set of socio-economic disruptions following the loss of agricultural land, the forced relocation of some 300,000 people, an economic crisis, lack of adequate information and political factors.
The ongoing health impact from Chernobyl is also tackled in the report and concludes that radiation from the disaster has had a devastating effect on survivors; damaging immune and endocrine systems, leading to accelerated ageing, cardiovascular and blood illnesses, psychological illnesses, chromosomal aberrations and an increase of deformities in foetuses and children.
The impacts of Chernobyl and other nuclear disasters are featured in a new photography exhibition, which opens in thirty cities worldwide (5). The exhibition features poignant portraits of individuals and families, and the stories of their life’s struggle because of Chernobyl and other nuclear disasters.
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“These images are a timely reminder that human life is more than just a number. For each statistic there is a person paying the ultimate price. Anyone who has a doubt about the dangers of nuclear power should visit the exhibition and see for themselves the reasons Greenpeace opposes nuclear power. Twenty years on and the threat of a new Chernobyl lies within every nuclear power plant ” concluded Blokov (6).
A map showing radioactive contamination by Caesium-137 around Chernobyl

A report published by Greenpeace questions an estimate made by the  (IAEA) that 4000 deaths have resulted from the . Greenpeace claims that this estimate is 'a gross simplification of the breadth of human suffering' and that over the last 15 years, 60,000 have died in  because of the accident, and estimates that the total death toll for  and  could be another 140,000.

The figure of 4,000 deaths given by the IAEA report referred to cancer fatalities within a group of 600,000 people, comprising of those who were sent in to clean up after the accident and those relocated after the accident. The Greenpeace report calls this figure 'misleading', saying that the report 'hid the true scale of human impact of Chernobyl'.

Ivan Blokov of Greenpeace said "it is appalling that the IAEA is whitewashing the impacts of the most serious nuclear accident in human history".

The IAEA have not yet responded to the report. 

The  spokesman Gregory Hartl stated that "The Greenpeace report is looking at all of Europe, whereas our report looks at only the most affected areas of the three most affected countries." Furthermore, "The WHO felt it had recourse to the best national and international scientific evidence and studies when it came up with its estimates of up to 9,000 excess deaths for the most affected areas. We feel they're very sound."

The report has been released at a time when the UK government is considering whether new nuclear power stations should be built in the country.