French government to compensate nuclear test victims finally

30 March 2009

After years of living in denial over the effects of its four decades of nuclear tests on humans, the French government has finally acknowledged that it did affect humans and has established a €10-million fund to compensate victims who suffered from the after effects.

Carrying out the first nuclear test, nicknamed ''Gerboise Bleue'' in 1960 in the Algerian Sahara desert, France has since conducted more than 200 tests between 1960 and 1996 in the Algerian Sahara, French Polynesia and the Pacific Ocean, "theoretically" exposing nearly 150,000 people to radiation.

Over the years, France has refused to recognise that the nuclear tests conducted by it was linked to the health complaints of both military personell and civilians involved in the tests.

French Defense Minister Herve Morin told the French newspaper Le Figaro, that "French governments believed for a long time that opening the door to compensation would pose a threat to the very significant efforts made by France to have credible nuclear deterrent, but it was time for France to be true to its conscience."

Those involved in carrying out the nuclear tests and people living in close proximity of the testing zones have over the years complained of various health problems ranging from leukemia to many forms of cancer and many of them had filed cases in the court claiming compensation.

About 2,000 Polynesians, including 600 children, suffered from the nuclear test carried out at the Moruroa and Fangataufa atolls.