Republic
19.04.2006
Over the last 15 years the social security of Belarusians, who were affected by the Chernobyl catastrophe and live in radiation-polluted areas, has increased a lot, according to results of a social poll carried out by the sociological and political studies centre of Belarusian State University in late 2005.
Director of the centre David Rotman told BelTA, they had polled 1,020 people of varying age and social status, residing in Chernobyl-affected regions of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine – Gomel region, Bryansk region, and Chernigov region. The previous similar study was conducted by the centre in 1991.
Asked about their life after the catastrophe, 62.4 per cent of polled Belarusians said, They "can live despite the graveness of the consequences if life is properly organised". At the same time, according to David Rotman, the majority of Russians (over 53 per cent) and Ukrainians (around 58 per cent) are convinced, "The state of affairs is a lot worse than we are told. It is impossible to live a normal life here". Over 40 per cent of Gomel region residents evaluated the region's economic situation as "rather good" while the economic situation in Chernigov and Bryansk regions was characterised as "rather bad" by 53.2 per cent of the Russians and 50.3 per cent of the Ukrainians respectively.
The second most worrying problem for people in the radiation-polluted areas is getting harmless foodstuffs and water. While in 1991 over 50 per cent of the polled Belarusians were worried about the problem, in 2005 the number was as much as 25 per cent. Respondents from Russia and Ukraine mentioned slight improvement of the situation.