Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings remembered 80 years on, with peace movements around the world renewing their call for the abolition of nuclear weapons and a global commitment to peace and disarmament.
On 6 August 1945, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb in human history on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later, Nagasaki met the same fate. While often portrayed as a necessary military action to end the Second World War, these bombings are widely condemned as one of the greatest war crimes ever committed. The deliberate use of weapons of mass destruction against largely civilian populations is not only morally indefensible, but also militarily questionable.
The atomic bombings marked a catastrophic assault on life itself—an unimaginable crime against humanity that remains unpunished. Approximately 160,000 people died almost instantly, while countless others suffered and later died from radiation exposure in the years that followed.
The refusal of the United States to apologise to the victims of this nuclear devastation is seen by many as an ongoing ethical failure and an act of state terrorism. It also highlights the political motives that still influence the development and stockpiling of nuclear weapons today. Rather than the end of a war, Hiroshima and Nagasaki marked the beginning of a new era of nuclear rivalry and arms races.
Today, with the world facing renewed insecurity, record levels of armed conflict, and the highest rate of military escalation since World War II, the demand for a nuclear-free future has become more urgent than ever. Peace movements continue to call for the complete abolition and destruction of all nuclear weapons.
Nuclear arsenals remain a constant threat to humanity’s survival. Growing military tensions increase the likelihood of uncontrolled conflict, while the vast sums spent on nuclear weapons divert critical resources away from sustainable development, environmental protection, and global solidarity.
To mark the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, the Cyprus Peace Council joins peace movements worldwide in reaffirming its commitment to a world free from nuclear arms and committed to justice and peace. The PPC also reiterates the need for the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East to become a nuclear weapons-free zone—demilitarised and free from all weapons of mass destruction.
In this context, the Council calls on the Cypriot government to immediately ratify the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), adopted in 2017, without further delay.
To commemorate this sombre anniversary, the PPC and the theatre group Antilogos are co-hosting a symbolic event this evening, Tuesday 5 August at 20:00, at the Mesogeios Artists’ Park in Larnaca. The event will feature a dramatic reading of “Hibakusha”, directed by Fotis Fotiou, honouring the victims and survivors of the nuclear bombings.
Source: Cyprus Peace Council
Feature Photo Source: Milwaukee Independent
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