UNRRA FACING CRISIS

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 22682, 9 August 1945, Page 4

UNRRA FACING CRISIS

HUGE RELIEF UNDERTAKING MUCH MORE MONEY NEEDED (Received Au*. 9, 1 pun.) LONDON, Aug. 8 Addressing a meeting of Unrra, the director, Mr Lehman, demanded at least £375,000,000 additional resources. He warned that the coming winter would be one of the grimmest in history. Mr Lehman presented a plan of operations calling for shipment of supplies worth £263,000,000 for the five months ending December 31. If the operations worked out as anticipated a total of £411,000,000 would have been expended, including the amount needed for necessary procurements for 1946. There would be only approximately £49,000,000 for pressing needs next year. “ The plain fact is that the resources for Unrra provided by the Atlantic City meeting are far from enough for even minimum relief and rehabilitation for the countries requiring assistance,” he said. “ The estimated requirements for 1946 were made up before Russia requested £175,000,000 in assistance for 12 months. Nearly everywhere in Europe the people see before them the prospect of starvation, economic disorganisation and perhaps chaos. The havoc and destruction caused by the war will have their full and deadly consequences in the coming months. We stand before a crisis and must act, and act now. “ Unrra is faced with a gigantic task in the Far East. A dangerous cholera epidemic is now being fought. Plans are being made for large-scale relief as soon as supplies for China can be sent.”