Eighty years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the presidents of the Japanese Red Cross Society and the International Committee of the Red Cross warn that the threat of nuclear weapons remains dire.

Despite the catastrophic human toll and lasting suffering of survivors, nuclear arsenals have grown in size and power, and reliance on these weapons in military doctrines continues.

They call on all states to uphold the pledge never to use or threaten nuclear weapons, adopt risk-reduction measures, end reliance on nuclear arms, and work toward their total elimination, particularly through the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

They also stress the importance of educating future generations to remember the horrors caused by nuclear warfare.

Source: ICRC – Joint Statement/05 August 2025