Kiribati

Between 1957 and 1962, the United Kingdom and the United States tested 33 nuclear weapons at Malden and Kiritimati (Christmas) Islands in Kiribati. The detonations, equivalent in energy to more than 2,000 Hiroshima bombs, have left Kiribati scarred, and long term health impacts have been devastating to the Islanders and the military servicemen who were stationed there.

As a nation that has witnessed the consequences of nuclear weapons first hand, Kiribati is a strong leader for nuclear justice and disarmament.  It was among the first 50 states to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) when it ratified the TPNW in 2019.  Kiribati serves on the Coordination Committee for the Treaty, acting as a Co-Chair to the informal working group on victim assistance, environmental remediation and international cooperation and assistance.

Nuclear History

In the 1950s, amid the nuclear arms race of the Cold War, Kiritimati Island and nearby Malden Island became testing grounds for the United Kingdom’s hydrogen-bomb program. Under Operation Grapple, which took place from 1957-1958, the UK conducted nine thermonuclear detonations, becoming the third recognized nuclear-armed state.

A few years later, between April and November 1962, the United States conducted Operation Dominic, a massive atmospheric test series. Twenty-four of these explosions occurred around Kiritimati, overlapping with British testing sites. These detonations were among the largest ever carried out by the U.S. and exposed I-Kiribati communities, foreign military personnel, and the surrounding environment to radioactive fallout.

Humanitarian and Environmental Impact

The atmospheric nuclear tests spread radioactive fallout throughout the ecosystem, contaminating fishing grounds and freshwater sources that local communities depended on. Many I-Kiribati who lived or worked near the testing zones reported acute radiation poisoning, illnesses, miscarriages, and long-term health complications, though comprehensive medical studies were rarely conducted at the time. Many women reported negative maternal health impacts such as stillbirths, and congenital conditions in children—effects echoed in other affected Pacific regions such as the Marshall Islands and French Polynesia.  Today, the communities still suffer from higher rates of cancer and other physical and mental health effects.

For decades, the full scale of environmental and humanitarian harm remained largely undocumented and neglected while radioactive plutonium and cesium lingered in the environment. The secrecy surrounding the tests, coupled with limited colonial-era recordkeeping, made it difficult for survivors to obtain recognition or compensation. By the time Kiribati gained independence in 1979, the islands had already been irrevocably shaped by the lingering effects of radiation exposure and ecological damage.

Nuclear Justice

For decades, the people of Kiribati received little acknowledgement or assistance from the states responsible for the tests. Both the United Kingdom and the United States maintained limited transparency about the extent of contamination and exposure, and neither has provided comprehensive reparations to affected communities. British veterans involved in Operation Grapple later campaigned for recognition of their health issues, but I-Kiribati civilians who lived near or worked on the testing sites were largely excluded from these discussions.

Kiribati has emerged as a moral voice for nuclear justice on the global stage. The country has consistently highlighted its history of nuclear testing in international forums, emphasizing the human and environmental costs borne by Pacific peoples. Kiribati was among the first nations to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), viewing it as a pathway to accountability and a safeguard against future harm.

Further Reading