The bombing of Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki 77 years ago by the American army represented the only time when nuclear weapons were used in military conflicts. Somewhere between 129,000 and 226,000 people died as a result of those catastrophic events, while the majority of them were civilians. Tens of thousands of people even died because of the aftermath of the blasts.
On August 6, 1945, the US detonated the first atomic bomb over Hiroshima. In remembering that horrifying event, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres released an important statement, claiming that no country should possess nuclear weapons in its arsenal.
Looking at the war between Ukraine and Russia, everyone can agree that the international tensions are severe. The idea of using nuclear weapons has been brought into discussion several times already since the military conflict that started back in February.
UN chief Antonio Guterres said in a tweet:
In Hiroshima today, I paid tribute to the tens of thousands of people killed by atomic bombs 77 years ago.
We cannot forget the lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
We must act in their memory & wipe nuclear weapons off the face of the earth once and for all.
In Hiroshima today, I paid tribute to the tens of thousands of people killed by atomic bombs 77 years ago.
We cannot forget the lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
We must act in their memory & wipe nuclear weapons off the face of the earth once and for all. pic.twitter.com/taMQFAjD92
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) August 6, 2022
He also added in another tweet:
At a time when geopolitical tensions are rising and the nuclear threat is back in focus, Japan’s strong and consistent voice on peace is more important than ever.
Thank you Prime Minister Kishida for welcoming me to Japan.
At a time when geopolitical tensions are rising and the nuclear threat is back in focus, Japan’s strong and consistent voice on peace is more important than ever. pic.twitter.com/qSs9muIMJG
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) August 6, 2022
Russia is among those countries of the globe that have nuclear weapons, along with the USA, China, India, the UK, and more. Perhaps the more terrifying aspect is that the nuclear weapons that exist today are thousands of times more powerful than the ones that were detonated 77 years ago during WWII.
Therefore, the UN secretary-general’s statements should be taken as seriously as possible if you ask us. Humanity should definitely get rid of nuclear weapons completely before they get rid of us someday.
