WHO urges governments to stockpile in the event of nuclear emergency

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
28 Jan 12:21

Following the rise of nuclear fear, the WHO is advising countries to begin storing medicines for "nuclear emergencies".

Bottles of potassium iodide (AP)

As the risk of nuclear escalation rises, the World Health Organization (WHO) released an updated "list of medicines that should be stockpiled for radiological and nuclear emergencies, along with policy advice for their appropriate management."

Dr. Maria Neira, WHO’s acting assistant director-general, said, “In radiation emergencies, people may be exposed to radiation at doses ranging from negligible to life-threatening. Governments need to make treatments available for those in need – fast.”

According to the report that explains how to manage radiation and nuclear exposure, many countries are unprepared.

“It is essential that governments are prepared to protect the health of populations and respond immediately to emergencies. This includes having ready supplies of lifesaving medicines that will reduce risks and treat injuries from radiation,” Neira added.

This comes at a fleet of Western narratives that aim to raise fears across the globe regarding a potential nuclear disaster. The West has been accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of intensifying the Ukraine war, claiming that Russia is willing to deploy nuclear weapons against Ukraine. It is not a surprise that such a narrative received substantial attention in the Western media.

But Russia has reiterated several times that its nuclear deterrence policy was guided by the postulate of the inadmissibility of nuclear war, as there could be no winners in such a conflict.

It is noteworthy that the Pentagon has repeatedly stressed that the United States has no indication that Russia intends to use a nuclear weapon in the Ukraine war.

In early October, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said there is no evidence in sight that suggests Russia's intention to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Concurrently, reports about Kiev preparing to use a dirty bomb in Ukraine to blame Russia for using nuclear weapons have been circulating for about months now.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky even underlined that NATO must carry out a preemptive strike against Russia instead of waiting for Russia's nuclear attacks.

In light of that, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that those who attempt to blackmail his country with nuclear weapons will find it coming back to bite them.