Today, on the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we remember one of the darkest and most terrifying events in our modern history that undoubtedly left an indelible and profound mark on humanity. At the end of World War II, on 6 and 9 August 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, ushering in a new era in the conduct of warfare and in the perception of the immense destructive power of nuclear technology.

The city of Hiroshima, a thriving Japanese town with a population of approximately 350,000 people, was the first designated target for the atomic bombing. On 6 August 1945, at 8:15 a.m., the «Little Boy» bomb was dropped from the B-29 Enola Gay bomber. The bomb, which exploded some 600 metres above the ground, released an energy equivalent to approximately 15,000 tons of TNT. The detonation produced a temperature similar to that on the surface of the sun, generating a huge incandescent fireball and a shock wave that devastated everything in its path.

In a few seconds, a large part of Hiroshima was reduced to rubble and ashes. Around 70,000 people died instantly and many more suffered serious injuries and radiation sickness. The survivors suffered for their entire lives from the radiation that contaminated the area for years. The result was a devastated city with shocked survivors who could barely comprehend the magnitude of what had happened. 

Three days later, on 9 August 1945, a second atomic bomb, called «Fat Man», was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. This time, the choice of Nagasaki City as the bombing target was due to weather conditions that made it difficult to bomb Kokura City in Fukuoka Prefecture, which was the original target. In the end, Nagasaki, a port city and industrial centre, was the one to suffer the nuclear attack. The bomb killed approximately 40,000 people within seconds and leveled much of the city.

Following both attacks, Japan’s surrender was announced on 15 August 1945 and with it the end of World War II. However, the effects of the nuclear attacks continued to affect the surviving population for decades as a result of the radiation, causing various diseases, including cancer, multiple birth defects and deep emotional pain that, generations later, still lingers among the population, especially those who experienced it all first-hand.

Undoubtedly, the use of nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki raised numerous ethical and moral questions, along with serious concerns about nuclear arms control. Their enormous destructive power showed that mankind had achieved the capability to wipe out entire populations at a level unprecedented at that time. This led to a pressing need to limit the use of nuclear weapons through international norms and agreements. However, despite these agreements, today we still face the challenge of ensuring a future entirely free of nuclear weapons. Indeed, the danger of nuclear weapons is not only not over, but sometimes seems to be more present than ever. 

The tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki shook the global conscience. Both cities became symbols of the threat and horror of war at its most destructive. And the whole world was able to understand, thanks to the testimony of the «Hibakusha», the survivors of the bombings, the extent of the consequences of nuclear weapons and the terrible suffering they can cause. 

Over the years, both Hiroshima and Nagasaki have become two cities where the voices of peace and nuclear disarmament are heard every day of the year. The annual memorial ceremonies for the victims remind us of the importance of always seeking the path of peace and dialogue to resolve any conflict. From resilience and hope, both cities are a living testimony of the need for the search for peace, twinning and understanding between nations. Our differences can never divert us from the path of peace as the only possible and common path that all nations must walk together. 

Hiroshima and Nagasaki are now a permanent legacy for all humanity. A legacy that reminds us of the darkest and most atrocious of wars and nuclear weapons, but also of the perennial need to work for peace, cooperation and understanding among all nations. 

The memory of the victims must always prevail and drive us to build a world free of nuclear weapons. 

A world where peace will always flourish, a world without suffering. 

Let us always remember so that we never forget.