Ukraine
Within Ukraine, many villages and towns were exposed to the radiation from the Chernobyl site, some so much so that an evacuation procedure had to be put into place. Sadly though, the opinion is that much of the evacuation occurred too late for some people, resulting in poor health and deaths.
After the accident, there were as many as 130 thousand people evacuated from 76 settlements within a 30Km radius of the Chernobyl site. It is recorded that as many as 2000 villages were demolished as a result of contamination. Pripyat is perhaps the most well known of towns to have been contaminated, and subsequently evacuated. Some families have been more fortunate than the Pripyat community, and have been able to go back home.
Belarus.
The Republic of Belarus which lies north of Ukraine has just under 10 million inhabitants, 2 million of which reside in the Capital, Minsk. Others are scattered over five other cities, better known as Voblasts (administrative centres), within the Country.
Belarus was the most severely affected Country by the Chernobyl Nuclear accident, resulting in 23 percent of its land being contaminated, effectively depriving 22 percent of its agricultural land and 21 percent of its forests.
Gomel, one of the six administrative centres, has the highest levels of radioactivity, as well as a decidedly noticeable fall in population along with life expectancy, particularly since 1996.
The official Chernobyl committee, which is responsible for dealing with the consequences of the disaster, resides in the Capital, Minsk. Here, it has been estimated that the total cost of the accident at Chernobyl has reached 235 billion US dollars. Much of this has gone towards the clean up operation, compensation and rebuilding or relocating of hundreds of thousands of families.
It should be noted that this estimate is 60 times greater than the annual national budget.
