The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund is still receiving hundreds of applications monthly, highlighting the enduring health impacts of the attacks.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Nearly 25 years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, hundreds of Americans continue to apply each month for compensation for illnesses linked to exposure at the attack sites. The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) is receiving an average of approximately 750 claims a month, or about 25 each day, according to Special Master Allison Turkel, who said the continuing applications demonstrate the lasting health consequences of the attacks. 📰 DETAIL: As of August 31, the fund had received more than 112,000 claims from people who were present at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, or Shanksville crash sites, as well as others who remained in designated areas during qualifying periods. The VCF has approved roughly 77,000 claims involving 9/11-related illnesses or deaths, with awards totaling approximately $18.56 billion. More than 6,000 people have now died from illnesses associated with the attacks, more than twice the number killed on September 11, 2001, and Turkel expects the toll to continue rising. Officials are urging anyone who was present in the designated New York City exposure zone to register with the fund even if they are currently healthy, noting that eligibility extends beyond first responders and could include as many as 400,000 people who lived, worked, attended school, or visited the area. The continuing health crisis comes as the 25th anniversary of the attacks approaches, amid renewed national debate over how the attacks are remembered, including a recent YouGov poll finding that more Democrats believe the country focuses too much on 9/11. Recent controversies have also highlighted concerns over how 9/11 is remembered, including Canada’s CBC reportedly instructing journalists not to describe the attacks as “terrorist attacks,” and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) backing far-left commentator Hasan Piker despite his previous statement that America “deserved 9/11.” 💬 KEY QUOTE: “As we reflect upon the immeasurable tragedy endured that day, we honor the lives of those we lost that day and the heroism of those who responded in a time of unprecedented crisis,” said Special Master Allison Turkel. 🎯 IMPACT: The continuing flow of claims underscores that the consequences of 9/11 extend far beyond the nearly 3,000 people killed on the day itself, with thousands more dying or suffering ill effects from the attacks decades later. As the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, renewed disputes over how the attacks are remembered are likely to intensify debates over national security and the obligations owed to survivors and first responders. |
Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.
