Aid for Hungarian refugees

Communication | Doc. 642 | 18 April 1957

Author(s):

Committee of Ministers

Thesaurus

1

Sweden

Up to 1st March 1957,4,031 Hungarian refugees had been received in Sweden for permanent settlement. This figure includes 100 children with their mothers and some 60 refugees suffering from tuberculosis. Of the refugees thus received over 2,200 had been employed, while nearly 300 were being trained for various occupations. In February the Swedish Government decided to receive as many additional refugees as it deemed possible to grant permanent employment. The number of such new refugees has not been fixed but is at present estimated at about 2,000. The costs for the transport and settlement of all these refugees (totalling about 6,000) is expected to amount to about 15 million Sw. crowns (3 million U. S. dollars). In addition to this sum Sweden has placed 500,000 crowns (100,000 dollars) at the disposal of the United Nations as a contribution to assistance to Hungarian refugees in Austria.

To give as complete a picture as possible of the Swedish assistance activities in this field I should like to add that up to 1st March 1957, Swedish private humanitarian organizations had sent food, clothing, medical supply etc. to Austria and Hungary, the value of which amounts to about 18 million crowns (3,5 million dollars).

Turkey

In accordance with the decision taken by the Turkish Government, the General Directorate of Land and Accommodation and the Red Crescent of Turkey undertook to receive 500 Hungarian refugees, to take steps for their resettlement and to help improve their social situation. The help given to the refugees, who arrived in Turkey in 8 groups totalling 505 persons, between 12th and 27th February 1957, and the steps taken for their rehabilitation may be summarised as follows :

1 The Immigrants' Hostel in Sirkeci (Istanbul) and the Red Crescent camp in Pendik (Istanbul) were set aside for Hungarian refugees; they were put into repair and improved to provide accommodation of a satisfactory standard of comfort.

2 On their arrival the refugees were housed in these hostels, accommodation being allocated according to their marital status and family situation.

3 As had been previously decided, their food is paid for by the Red Ci'escent of Turkey. A detailed list of expenses incurred up to 1st March 1957 for repairs and alterations to the hostels and for the miscellaneous needs of the refugees is appended to the present report.

4 2,221 garments made in the workshops of the Ankara Charity Association and paid for out of the budget of the General Directorate of Land and Accommodation were distributed.

5 To provide the Red Crescent camp in Pendik with satisfactory heating, 14 electric stoves and 14 oil stoves were purchased by the camp authorities. Three births took place, and the necessities such as layettes and baby-clothing were supplied by the Turkish Child Welfare Association and the Red Crescent of Turkey. Baths for somewhat older children were also provided.

6 The cooks are recruited from among the refugees themselves; they draw a wage of 300 Turkish £'s and run their own kitchens. There is no food rationing. The children, for whom a special diet has been prescribed by the Doctor, have five meals a day.