Questions:

What was the Chernobyl Nuclear disaster?
Why is the danger so severe?
Why do people still live in the region?
How is the radiation manifested?
Why must the children be evacuated?
What happens to the children after they are evacuated?
Why are the children evacuated to Israel?
Is there treatment?
How are the children medically treated?
Are the parents reunited with their children?

Answers:

What was the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster?

On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine exploded and released radioactive material into the environment — 400 times the amount released by the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan — ecologically destroying over 6,000 square kilometers for decades to come.

Why is the danger so severe?

Radiation contaminates the soil, water and food, which ultimately enters the bodies of the Chernobyl residents. The body mistakenly processes the radioactive isotopes as potassium, allowing destructive material to destroy cells, trigger cancer, weaken the heart and cause birth defects.

Why do people still live in the region?

Despite severe health risks posed by the radioactive fallout, the majority of the population do not have the financial or emotional resources to start new lives elsewhere. Many of these illnesses do not manifest themselves for years. Denial of the situation’s severity is common until parents see symptoms of illness in their children.

How is the radiation manifested?

“Chernobyl AIDS” has become the slang term used by doctors in Ukraine and Belarus to describe the suppressed immune systems prevalent in the victims. Common illnesses prove to be fatal. Allergies pose severe threats, pulmonary problems have increased, colds and flus have progressed to critical illnesses, surgical recovery is slow, and dizziness and blackouts are common. The citizens of Chernobyl are stricken with thyroid cancer at a rate 200 times higher than the rest of the world’s population. Birth defects, heart maladies, cancers and other illnesses afflict the majority of the children and often lead to fatal consequences.

Why must the children be evacuated?

A child’s developing body is highly susceptible to the damage caused by the radioactive fallout. Medical relief in a poisoned environment proves temporary. The children remain at risk as long as they consume water and food in the region.

What happens to the children after they are evacuated?

They are welcomed into a loving home by a full-time staff. They receive an excellent education and participate in a full range of extracurricular activities, giving them the opportunity to live healthy and happy lives, which every child deserves.

Why are the children evacuated to Israel?

Israel is the only country in the world that accepts the children from the Chernobyl region on
a permanent basis. Israel’s physicians and medical facilities are among the world’s most
accomplished in radiation-related illnesses.

Is there treatment?

Yes. Most of the children make a full recovery after they are rescued. With proper medical treatment and long-term supervision, they can defeat most of these debilitating effects of the radiation including: thyroid cancer, leukemia, skin cancers, sever cardiac abnormalities, and many other illnesses.

How are the children medically treated?

CCOC provides a full-time pediatrician and psychologist on campus as well as access to the full spectrum of Israel’s state-of-the-art medical care.

Are the parents reunited with their children?

Yes. The majority of the parents reunite with their children in Israel.