In brief
An 80-year fight against nuclear weapons sees progress as Nihon Hidankyo, a group of Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors, receives the Nobel Peace Prize for championing disarmament.
In a historic recognition, Nihon Hidankyo, a coalition of Japanese survivors from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. This acknowledgment by the Norwegian Nobel Committee comes as a testament to their unwavering dedication to nuclear disarmament. Toshiyuki Mimaki, chairman of Nihon Hidankyo, emphasized the urgent need to abolish nuclear weapons, echoing the harrowing experiences of those who lived through the devastation. The 1945 bombings left cities in ruins and exposed survivors to lasting health issues, while becoming symbols of the catastrophic potential of human-engineered destruction. Today, there are over 100,000 surviving witnesses who continue to advocate for a nuclear-free world, serving as powerful living reminders of history's horrors. The committee chairman, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, praised these survivors for their ability to convey the profound agony and complex legacy of nuclear warfare, urging the global community never to repeat such a tragedy.
