At least one-fifth of the half-million people exposed to the Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal, India, in 1984 continue to suffer from chronic illnesses, according to the National Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (NCJB).

Thousands of young people, exposed at infancy or in their mothers' wombs, show retarded physical growth and mental development, according to the group. Tuberculosis, other infectious diseases and cancers are rising among the exposed population.

More than 20,000 people have died as a result of exposure to Carbide's gases, with the death toll rising as 10 to 15 people currently die every month from exposure-related diseases and their complications, according to the NCJB.

Source: New Solutions: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy Volume 11 (3) - Pages 289-292 (2001). Article: "An Appeal for Justice for Bhopal's Victims." Author: The Sambhavna Trust - Bhopal Peoples' Health & Documentation Centre. Copyright 2001, Baywood Publishing Co., Inc.