European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 26, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday february 26, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 3 j a Quot a. It a it a \ re 1 Quot a a wms a poll Ife z r Quot Quot a a Ltd ,. A. To a w \ . Xvi x x a a xxx , v v v . . Us Quot ap/s8.s Sas Vine Crawley Kali Gaffney an american humanitarian worker shows the Geiger counter she carries to test radiation. At right a russian worker unloads medical supplies from a .  still lingers in most polluted spot7 by Vince Crawley staff writer Chelyabinsk Russia a while american aircrews of operation provide Hope and russian soldiers unloaded medical supplies Ana happily swapped hats humanitarian workers told horror stones of dying children and nuclear catastrophe. Chelyabinsk on the siberian Steppes just East of the ural mountains is the Center for tank and atomic warhead production in the former soviet Union and officials say the Region has suffered three nuclear accidents including a 1957 meltdown each of which dwarfed the much publicized 1986 meltdown at chernobyl in Ukraine. The 1957 nuclear Accident which released four times As much radioactivity As the bombing of Hiroshima was kept secret for years until Zhores Medvedev an exiled scientist and dissident published a Book about it in the West in the late 1970s. The United states Learned of the Accident through intelligence channels but did not publicize it a new York times Story said. . Leaders were said to fear in part that the news might kindle opposition to the american nuclear program. A this has got to be the most polluted spot on the Lanet a Washington experts will Check on medical problems Brussels Belgium a amps the North Atlantic treaty organization will Fly about 30 medical experts to the former soviet Union on thursday where they will spend four weeks assessing local medical needs. The experts belong to a medical working group that was established last month at the Washington coordinating conference on assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent states. They Are expected to visit at least 10 cities in the Commonwealth and identify health care areas where the International Community could help. The experts represent nine countries including the United states and several International organizations a among them the european commission the world health organization Unicof the International federation of pharmaceutical manufacturers associations and nato. As part of an International program to Aid the former soviet Union nato also has agreed to put its military machinery to work coordinating the flow of trains ships and trucks filled with supplies. Tice that persisted for at least seven years in the 1950s. Lynne Robustelli an american Relief worker said that on sunday she was shown a a Lake with enough uranium and plutonium in it to cause a spontaneous nuclear  a they relied on East Germany for All their medication a Robustelli said. A when East Germany went democratic they lost their source of  Robustelli is president of the resolve foundation a Nikitin a _ based physicist Thomas e. Cochran said last summer referring to Chelyabinsk. Local officials have not disputed his claim. Hlakik a 22-year-old russian sergeant who did not want to give his last name said people around Chelyabinsk were not told of the nuclear accidents until two or three years ago. A people found it hard to believe a he said. A personally i was not surprised. I lost my Grandfather and grandmother in the  a we have much trouble in our Region a Vadim Nikitin a local social welfare director said monday while american aircrews unloaded supplies intended for nearby children a hospitals. A a it a a difficult situation and a difficult  during another operation provide Hope flight on saturday he told a new York times reporter a there is lots of cancer and Many people have radiation poisoning. Children Are being born with sicknesses that Are related to the Accident or other past  other past events include the dumping of radioactive waste into the tech River and a nearby Lake a prac there is lots of cancer and Many people have radiation poisoning. Children Are being bom with sicknesses that Are related to the Accident or other  _ Vadim Niki Insoda welfare official san Francisco based consulting firm that specializes in coordinating humanitarian assistance. One of her workers Kayati Gaffney said that resolve employees wore Geiger counters during their Tours through Chelyabinsk. Visits included a 400-bed children a Hospital and a 35-bed children a cancer Center. A the doctors in the Hospital were very sophisticated a Gaffney said. A they knew what they needed but did no to have it. So it was very frustrating for  a reporter for the Independent a British newspaper visited a Hospital last year and wrote in december a the patients in the leukaemia Ward Range from 1 to 15 years. At night their mothers sleep beside them on  without such Basic medical equipment As blood cell separators 75 percent of the children in the Ward would be dead within nine months the Independent said. It quoted one doctor who said a your mothers understand better than anyone the pain of the mothers in chernobyl whose children have leukaemia. We Only want the Public to know that our children Are dying  the catastrophe at Chelyabinsk was a maybe 10 times bigger than chernobyl and still affects a population of half a million Andrei v. Pavlov a Moscow based social worker said at the Airfield monday. A the children need special medical help and special equipment a Pavlov said. A the mothers of the children maybe they Are 30 years old but they look 50 years  Chelyabinsk is one of More than 20 Sites in the former soviet Union receiving food Aid through operation provide Hope which ends today. Chelyabinsk-70, the atomic research Complex North of town was for Many years a top secret area and the saturday and monday provide Hope flights marked the first time Western aircraft have landed there since world War ii when americans helped set up military production plants. The russian army outfit was guarding the provide Hope cargo to ensure it stayed off the Black Market. The Captain in charge of the detachment who also declined to give his full name said the units daily Mission is to fight Black marketing and organized crime which is a a general countrywide problem Here and  the Captain said that receiving handouts from the americans a is somewhat embarrassing for a Large country like ours but it is  he was among the russian soldiers who eagerly traded souvenirs with the american aircrews. A i Hope my country will someday be Able to repay you in kind the Captain said a and give you Aid someday when you need