UNRRA selected records AG-018-008 : European Regional Office (ERO). Registry Files

Copyright Holder: United Nations Archives and Records Management Section The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) was an international relief agency representing 44 nations, but largely dominated by the United States. Founded in 1943, it became part of the United Nations (UN) in 1945, and it largely shut down operations in 1947. Its purpose was to "plan, co-ordinate, administer or arrange for the administration of measures for the relief of victims of war in any area under the control of any of the United Nations through the provision of food, fuel, clothing, shelter and other basic necessities, medical and other essential services." Its staff of civil servants included 12,000 people, with headquarters in New York. Funding came from many nations, and totaled $3.7 billion, of which the United States contributed $2.7 billion; Britain $625 million and Canada $139 million. The Administration of UNRRA at the peak of operations in mid-1946 included five types of offices and missions with a staff totaling nearly 25,000: The Headquarters Office in Washington, The European Regional Office (London), the 29 servicing offices and missions (2 area offices in Cairo and Sydney; 10 liaison offices and missions in Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Trieste; 12 procurement offices in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and later Peru, Cuba, India, Mexico, South Africa, Southern Rhodesia, Turkey, Uruguay, Venezuela; 6 offices for procurement of surplus military supplies in Caserta and later Rome, Honolulu, Manila, New Delhi, Paris, Shanghai), the sixteen missions to receiving countries (Albania, Austria, Byelorussia, China, Czechoslovakia, the Dodecanese Islands, Ethiopia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Korea, the Philippines, Poland, Ukraine, Yugoslavia), and the Displaced Persons Operations in Germany. UNRRA cooperated closely with dozens of volunteer charitable organizations, who sent hundreds of their own agencies to work alongside UNRRA. In operation only three years, the agency distributed about $4 billion worth of goods, food, medicine, tools, and farm implements at a time of severe global shortages and worldwide transportation difficulties. The recipient nations had been especially hard hit by starvation, dislocation, and political chaos. It played a major role in helping Displaced Persons return to their home countries in Europe in 1945-46. Its UN functions were transferred to several UN agencies, including the International Refugee Organization and the World Health Organization. As an American relief agency, it was largely replaced by the Marshall Plan, which began operations in 1948. [Source: UN Original finding aid of records of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA)] Selected records of the UNRRA European Regional Office (ERO), Registry Files relating to: legal matters affecting UNRRA Missions, assistance to displaced persons and prisoners of war, relations with allied governments (Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, Yugoslavia, Middle East, Egypt, Ethiopia, Brazil, China, Iran, Austria); mission reports from particular countries, Relief Services Conferences, Londin,1946; allegations against UNRRA administration; UNRRA Program of Operations for Displaced Persons Germany, 1944-1948; overseas visits of UNRRA representatives; Displaced Persons Conference, Paris, 1944-1948; relations with the Military in particular countries; collaboration with voluntary humanitarian societies; training of personnel for displaced persons camps operations in Germany, 1944-1948; procurement co-ordination-supplies to liberated Europe; industrial rehabilitation and shipments; urgent food supplies for Carpathian Ukraine requested by Czechoslovakia government, 1944-1948; emergency relief of supplies for North West Europe; Mission intelligence reports: health, welfare, special missions; emergency relief services in European countries, reports from particular countries; Jewish refugees, repatriation of Polish nationals from Germany and other countries; Displaced Persons Operation in Europe, children of allied nationality deported to Germany; movement of children from concentration camps; movement of children to Palestine; unaccompanied children; and files on Balkan and Italy mission, 1944-1948.