Hiroshima's 80th Anniversary: A Global Call for Nuclear Disarmament

On Wednesday, Hiroshima witnessed a gathering of thousands to mark 80 years since the first wartime use of a nuclear bomb. The somber anniversary drew survivors, officials, and delegates from 120 countries, all echoing calls for global nuclear disarmament, according to Al Jazeera.

In 1945, on August 6, the United States deployed a uranium bomb, named Little Boy, over Hiroshima, killing approximately 78,000 people instantly. By year's end, tens of thousands more succumbed to burns and radiation. Three days later, the attack on Nagasaki prompted Japan's surrender on August 15, signaling the end of World War II.

The Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, nearly directly under the bomb's detonation site, hosted the annual memorial with an unprecedented international attendance. Fadi Salameh of Al Jazeera reported the ceremony's traditional procedure: floral tributes, offerings of water, and a moment of silence at 8:15 AM. This was followed by Hiroshima's mayor reading a peace declaration calling for nuclear weapon abolition.

Japanese schoolchildren read the "Promise of Peace," sharing messages of hope and remembrance. A statement from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the need for global peace. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui criticized the persistence of nuclear arsenal reliance by leaders, citing the US and Russia's control of 90% of such weapons.

Matsui warned that this stance undermines peace frameworks, disregarding past lessons. He urged world leaders to visit Hiroshima to witness the atomic bomb's impact firsthand. Hibakusha, or bomb survivors, now number fewer than 100,000, having once faced discrimination due to misconceptions about radiation effects.

Japan remains committed to nuclear disarmament but has not joined the UN nuclear weapons ban treaty, reports Al Jazeera. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)