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Friend of Chernobyl's Children Edinburgh West is a local charity which works to improve the lives of children in Belarus who are suffering from the long-term effects of radiation in their country.

The charity brings the children to Scotland for a month each year to boost their immune systems, provide eye, dental and health checks and to let them enjoy a full programme of activities and events organised by the charity.

On 26 April 1986 the reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power station overheated, exploded, then went into meltdown.  It was the world's worst nuclear disaster releasing 190 tons of radioactive waste into the atmosphere, exposing the people to radioactivity 300 times greater than that of the Hiroshima bomb.

The contamination spread over the neighbouring countries. The population is still exposed to radiation via their food.

The Effects:

Radiation 40 times above the permissible level.

Incidences of thyroid cancer have risen by 3000%.

Over the next 15-20 years an estimated 40,000 children will contract thyroid cancer.

Cancers in children living near the reactor have increased by 800%.

There is a dramatic rise in the rate of babies born with severe physical and mental disabilities.

In Belarus the death rate is higher than the birth rate.

90% of children suffer from vitamin deficiencies.

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Your donation helps these children.  Thank you.

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