Conditions In Refugee Camps Described

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28754, 27 November 1958, Page 10

Conditions In Refugee Camps Described

Although everything possible being done to help the of refugees in camps ■“-rr-gr.out Europe it seemed many of them were const—.r.ec to spend the rest of their . • e; behind barbed wire, said I'r Er.c Munt, chairman of the ssehurch C.0.R.5.0. comhe had seen of the camps t-.-.r.z his recent visit to Europe *=c t • en mm a greater incentive f-rtr.er the wirk of C.0.R.5.0., 5? " seemed that there would be a reed to provide relief for •sf-gees for some time to come. a: cne camp he had visited ■?=r Naples there was “a huge 'meration of people “from p-.ar.d Czechoslovakia. Lithuir. 2 Hungary and other countnes, who had escaped with the -?a -f reaching freedom, and r.ad made great sacrifices to .-€21.“. tne west. Some had spent _□ *.o 10 years in the camp. The United Nations and the Zr.iemauonal Red Cross had tried encourage the refugees in this lamp to grow their own food. : tr.e Italian Government was afraid that this would add to the 2.ready big unemployment in the :i_r.try by taking work from

I those who provided the food for I the camp. Mr Munt said. . Most of the refugees had applied for entry to the United States but only the physically i fit could be accepted. When one j member of a family was below I the required medical standard i the others usually preferred to i stay behind with him rather than be separated. ■ Some training in woodwork and ' mechanics was given in the camps . but many of the youths had become so unused to working that they were reluctant to emigrate ! and accept the responsibility of learning their own living, Mr Munt said.

Food in these camps was adequate but not very appetising. Medical attention was provided but there was a lot of sickness caused by poor sanitation and primitive living conditions. Some of the camps were closed from time to time but had to be reopened every time there was a political upheaval. Refugees were a liability on the countries supporting them and the governments took the attitude that they had to do something for these less fortunate people. Mr Munt said. The work of C.O R.S.O. was greatly appreciated in these camps.