UNRRA selected records AG-018-004 : Bureau of Areas
Extent and Medium
55,029 digital images, JPEG
Creator(s)
- United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA)
Biographical History
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)]
Archival History
United Nations Archives and Records Management Section
Acquisition
Source of acquisition is the United Nations Archives and Records Management Section (UN-ARMS), UNRRA records AG-018-004. The collection was digitized through a cooperative agreement between the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Mémorial de la Shoah, France and the UN-ARMS. The USHMM Archives received the filmed collection via the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum International Archival Programs Division in 2016.
Scope and Content
Selected files of the Executive Office, Office of Country Mission Affairs, and European Mission Affairs: Agreements to establish various country missions, postwar relief plans, reports, polices and analysis on displaced persons, health and medical requirements, field and intelligence reports and statistics on country field missions, European mission affairs, and miscellaneous correspondence.
System of Arrangement
Selected files arranged in three series: 1. Executive Office (S-1241 to S-1243); 2. Office of Country Mission Affairs (S-1244 and S-1245); 3. European Mission Affairs (S-1246 and S-1247).
Conditions Governing Reproduction
Copyright Holder: United Nations Archives and Records Management Section
People
- Lehman, Herbert H. (Herbert Henry), 1878-1963.
Corporate Bodies
- United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
- International Monetary Fund
Subjects
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Sources.
- Middle East--Social conditions--20th century.
- United States--Politics and government.
- Switzerland--Politics and government--20th century.
- Missions, Medical--Europe--History.
- Bulgaria--Economic conditions.
- Norway--Emigration and immigration--20th century.
- Ethiopia--Social conditions--20th century.
- Emigration and immigration--Europe--History--20th century.
- Austria--Politics and government--20th century.
- Greece--Social conditions--20th century.
- Refugees--Legal status, laws, etc.
- Albania--Social conditions--20th century.
- North Africa--Social conditions--20th century.
- Humanitarian assistance--Statistics.
- China--Politics and government--20th century.
- Poland--Social conditions--20th century.
- France--Emigration and immigration--History--20th century.
- Brazil--Emigration and immigration--History--20th century.
- Germany--Emigration and immigration--History--20th century.
- International relief.
- Sweden--Emigration and immigration.
- Argentina--Emigration and immigration--History--20th century.
- Reconstruction (1939-1951)--Europe.
- World War, 1939-1945--Refugees.
- Yugoslavia--Emigration and immigration.
- War relief--Europe--History--20th century.
- Netherlands--Emigration and immigration--20th century.
- World War, 1939-1945--Civilian relief.
- Belgium--Emigration and immigration--History--20th century.
- Italy--Emigration and immigration--History--20th century.
- Europe--Social conditions--20th century.
- Algeria--Social conditions--20th century.
- War relief--United States--History--20th century.
Genre
- Manuals.
- Charts.
- Correspondence.
- Document
- Reports.
- Statistics.
- Cables.