UNRRA'S WORK

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 129, 2 June 1945, Page 8

UNRRA'S WORK

STRICKEN PEOPLE

FOOD AND CLOTHING

An insight into the great task confronting the UNRRA organisation in providing' food and clothing for the stricken victims of countries liberated from the enemy was given in an interview today by Dr. W. B. Sutch, the New Zealander, who earlier this year was appointed to the responsible position of chief requirements and supply officer for UNRRA in the South-west Pacific area. His headquarters are in Sydney and he has come to New Zealand by air on a short visit to discuss with the Government various aspects of New Zealand's contribution to UNRRA, which is £2,600,000.

Although Dr. Sutch's headquarters are in Sydney, a considerable proportion of his buying activities is in Melbourne, where most of the Australian procurement- departments are locaied. The ■ UNRRA organisation for the South-west Pacific, said Dr. Sutch, had expert' technical persons in the fteid of health, welfare, displaced persons, agricultural rehabilitation, and the hiring of personnel. Each of those sections was actively working both on the recruitment of personnel for Europe and also the preliminary organisation for the areas now under Japanese control which were shortly to be liberated.. At the moment dozens of experts from the South-west Pacific area were being flown to Europe for work in epidemic control, the handling of people who were formerly slaves of Germany, the restoration of agriculture, and the handling of supplies. UNRRA workers were drawn from all countries, including countries recently liberated. That meant that in the administration of relief there was working an international civil service which had the servants of 44 Governments comprising the United Nations. ~ , , Dr Sutch has specifically the dual task of co-ordinating and synthesising relief requirements of countries to be liberated to the north of Australia as well as the procurement of supplies from Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and also Netherlands East Indies when liberated. "The urgent task at the moment said Dr Sutch, "is to get supplies of foodstuffs and clothing for Europe. The clothing of the people of Europe has lasted 'longer than the Greater German Reich, but it will last no longer. In Yugoslavia a notice of death occurring in a family brings mobs of shivering people offering fabulous sums for the clothing of the Dr. Sutch, #"5 food situation was now being alleviated, there were people in Amsterdam who were still living skeletons. There were people lying in bed because they could not stand, and people who could not be saved even by a piece ot bread because their bodies could not handle it. What had been 50,000 acres of rich farm land in western Holland was now a great black sheet of water. Dr. Sutch expects to be in NewZealand about a week.