The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement's involvement in the nuclear debate dates back to the moment the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. On Aug. 6, 1945, at 8:15 a.m., there was a flash of light over the city and in an instant, tens of thousands of people were dead, hospitals and health centers were incinerated and the city was left in ruins.
But in the midst of this appalling devastation, one hospital survived. The Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital — which miraculously escaped complete destruction despite its closeness to the epicenter of the blast — began to fill with casualties.
Yet, most equipment and medicine had been destroyed or was unusable, and many of its doctors and nurses had been killed or injured. But there was dedication, and there was help to come.