Atomic bomb mushroom clouds over Hiroshima (left) and Nagasaki (right). (Photo: Charles Levy/Public Domain)
Feb 16, 2015
Over 40 survivors of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan are preparing to file a class action lawsuit demanding their government provide them health coverage for the ongoing health impacts of exposure to radioactive "black rain."
The Japanese publication Mainichi reports:
The A-bomb survivors -- all residents of Hiroshima Prefecture -- are currently not receiving assistance under the Atomic Bomb Survivors' Assistance Law as they were outside the black rain area recognized by the government. They will apply to the Hiroshima prefectural and municipal governments for A-bomb survivors' certificates as early as next month. They expect to be rejected, and plan to file suit seeking a nullification of those rejections.
The survivors say they developed severe health problems, including cancer and heart disease, as a result of their exposure to the black rain--the precipitation, darkened by nuclear fallout, that fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki following the U.S. bombings in 1945.
Over 200,000 people perished as a result of the nuclear weapons attacks and the radiation poisoning and sickness that followed.
As of March, there were 192,719 officially recognized hibakusha, or people directly impacted by the atomic bombings. Norihiro Kato argued in The New York Times last August that "the hibakusha's suffering is not always given the acknowledgment it deserves."
Kato continued, "Even the Japanese government has abandoned them: Not once has it protested the dropping of those two bombs."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
Over 40 survivors of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan are preparing to file a class action lawsuit demanding their government provide them health coverage for the ongoing health impacts of exposure to radioactive "black rain."
The Japanese publication Mainichi reports:
The A-bomb survivors -- all residents of Hiroshima Prefecture -- are currently not receiving assistance under the Atomic Bomb Survivors' Assistance Law as they were outside the black rain area recognized by the government. They will apply to the Hiroshima prefectural and municipal governments for A-bomb survivors' certificates as early as next month. They expect to be rejected, and plan to file suit seeking a nullification of those rejections.
The survivors say they developed severe health problems, including cancer and heart disease, as a result of their exposure to the black rain--the precipitation, darkened by nuclear fallout, that fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki following the U.S. bombings in 1945.
Over 200,000 people perished as a result of the nuclear weapons attacks and the radiation poisoning and sickness that followed.
As of March, there were 192,719 officially recognized hibakusha, or people directly impacted by the atomic bombings. Norihiro Kato argued in The New York Times last August that "the hibakusha's suffering is not always given the acknowledgment it deserves."
Kato continued, "Even the Japanese government has abandoned them: Not once has it protested the dropping of those two bombs."
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
Over 40 survivors of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan are preparing to file a class action lawsuit demanding their government provide them health coverage for the ongoing health impacts of exposure to radioactive "black rain."
The Japanese publication Mainichi reports:
The A-bomb survivors -- all residents of Hiroshima Prefecture -- are currently not receiving assistance under the Atomic Bomb Survivors' Assistance Law as they were outside the black rain area recognized by the government. They will apply to the Hiroshima prefectural and municipal governments for A-bomb survivors' certificates as early as next month. They expect to be rejected, and plan to file suit seeking a nullification of those rejections.
The survivors say they developed severe health problems, including cancer and heart disease, as a result of their exposure to the black rain--the precipitation, darkened by nuclear fallout, that fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki following the U.S. bombings in 1945.
Over 200,000 people perished as a result of the nuclear weapons attacks and the radiation poisoning and sickness that followed.
As of March, there were 192,719 officially recognized hibakusha, or people directly impacted by the atomic bombings. Norihiro Kato argued in The New York Times last August that "the hibakusha's suffering is not always given the acknowledgment it deserves."
Kato continued, "Even the Japanese government has abandoned them: Not once has it protested the dropping of those two bombs."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.