UNITED NATIONS, April 26 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday called on the international community to do more to help regions affected by the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in Ukraine, one of the most catastrophic nuke accidents in human history.

In his message to mark 27th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, Ban stressed that though these areas coping with the consequences of the tragedy are demonstrating great resilience, they continue to need support.

"The affected area is still suffering from the impact of the accident. Environmental damage to food chains, land and water will in many cases last for years," said Ban. "The countless women, men and children affected by radioactive contamination must never be forgotten."

Ban called on the international community to "demonstrate generosity in helping affected regions as they strive for a long- sought return to normalcy."

"We honor the emergency workers who risked their lives responding to the accident, the more than 330,000 people uprooted from their homes and the millions of people living in contaminated areas who have long been traumatized by lingering fears about their health and livelihoods," he said.

The UN General Assembly proclaimed the period of 2006-2016 a " Decade of Recovery and Sustainable Development" to help affected communities reverse the domino effect of poverty, poor health, fear and psychosocial trauma that have hampered growth in the region since April 26, 1986, when the No.4 reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded during a test, killing 31 people and leading to serious long-standing radioactive contamination in the adjacent regions.

The United Nations is working to achieve the aims of the Decade by "focusing on social and economic development, the promotion of healthy lifestyles and community self-reliance," Ban noted.

In the message, Ban also reiterated UN's commitment to stand by those affected by the disaster, and to work for greater nuclear safety and sustainable energy worldwide.