On April 26, 1986, an explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine released massive amounts of radiation into the atmosphere.

(VOVworld)- On the eve of the 28th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for continued international assistance for the people and regions affected by the disaster. The UN secretary-general calls upon the international community to further support the process of recovery and sustainable development in the Chernobyl-affected region, to optimize the knowledge gained for the common good, and to do everything possible to prevent any future nuclear disasters.  He stressed the important role of the UN in helping people in the affected areas and praised the initiative to organize an international conference on supporting Chernobyl affected regions in May in Belarus. The world organization remains committed to the UN Action Plan on Chernobyl until 2016, which contains a declaration of principles in recovery efforts, and emphasizes social and economic development and the promotion of healthy lifestyles as well as community self-reliance.