Reconstruction. The situation of Latvia is worse than that of the neighbouring States, owing to the number of times the country has been under enemy occupation. Latvia derives no benefit from the credits voted by the Allies and by neutral States; the government shows a deficit of roughly two thousand millions of roubles. The people are often without shelter, food and clothing. The situation of the children is very serious, demanding special effort, particularly with respect to clinical assistance. Within a short period of time, in 6 clinics, out of 13,500 children more than 2500 were in need of clinical treatment. The percentage of tuberculosis and connected diseases is alarming. Over 50,000 children are in need of relief. Owing to shortage of bread, the authorities of Dvinsk have been obliged to remove from the orphanages all children having one parent, whatever his situation. About 3000 children are in need of practically everything and are dependent on foreign assistance. In Riga during January 1921, a census was taken of 15,000 poor children on whom privations had induced serious mental and physical conditions. The following statistics, dealing with 655 children, were taken in one of the dispensaries in Riga: Further, typhus, smallpox and venereal diseases have been and are prevalent in Latvia, especially in the north and east where they have reached alarming proportions. There are in the country roughly 25,000 persons, victims of the war, exclusive of those not yet repatriated. About 90,000 children are in need of medical relief and food. Repatriation. Lithuania. There are about 30,000 Russian refugees in Lithuania. Reconstruction. Sanitary and economic conditions are practically normal. Repatriation. Poland. Poland, more than any other State in Europe, has undergone the passage of armies and has had to shelter prisoners of war and refugees of all sorts. At the present time, over 100,000 Russian refugees and more than 60,000 Ukranian refugees constitute a ruinous burden for the Government and relief societies of Poland. Owing to political circumstances, a long time must elapse before these refugees can be repatriated. It is therefore necessary to organise relief in the places where they reside, especially in the concentration camps. 20,000 Russian prisoners will be repatriated in the course of the summer, and Poland expects to receive about 30,000 Polish prisoners of war and from 200,000 to 300,000 Polish refugees returning from Russia. What is especially needed for these prisoners and refugees, whether in Poland or in Russia, and especially while they are being transferred, is soap, underclothing, clothing and foot-wear. Neither the Government, nor the relief societies of Poland, are able to furnish these in sufficient quantities. Reconstruction. Epidemics continue to ravage the eastern frontier of Poland. During the first three months of 1921, 1899 deaths occurred as the result of typhus. Venereal diseases are also specially rampant among soldiers. The great need in villages and towns is bathing establishments, for the country is not yet able to supply the necessary equipment (piping, shower baths, boilers, etc.). Insufficient means of transport, the wretched condition, owing to the war, of the few remaining roads, the small number of hospitals in the provinces, the lack of vehicles for transporting the sick to isolation centres, added to the continous influx across the eastern frontier of new carriers of epidemic infection, all contribute to the maintenance of conditions which are disastrous to public health. It will require all the efforts of western civilisation to re-establish in these countries the normal sanitary conditions which are indispensable in the interest of all Europe. The condition of the children in Poland is specially distressing. It is estimated that 2,300,000 children are in need, and of these at least 1,000,000 are without any assistance whatsoever. What these children must need is normal feeding, clothing and elementary medical care. In certain regions, entire families are still living in the old trenches. The main obstacles which have to be overcome in the work of reconstruction in these districts, are lack of building material for houses, of seed for agriculture, of cattle and of field implements. Repatriation. Roumania. Roumania, like all other States bordering on Russia has been traversed by vast numbers of refugees. About 2,000 of these refugees still remain in Roumanian territory and are in need of assistance. Numerous Roumanians are in Russia and Siberia whence they can be repatriated. Reconstruction. Roumania suffered severely from epidemics during the war. At the present time, she is lacking in doctors, nurses, medicines, and sanitary material. The situation of the children is specially serious. Infant mortality has risen to 30 %, representing an increase of 5% on pre-war figures. 200,000 war orphans require assistance; the relief organisations of the country are inadequate to deal with the situation. Russia. Repatriation. As a result of the closing of the Russian frontiers following on the establishment of the Soviet regime, which prevented the repatriation of the prisoners of war and of innumerable refugees from western Russia, a considerable number of prisoners and fugitives are still in Russia. About 8000 prisoners of all nationalities are dispersed in Ciscaucasia, Caucasia, Turkestan, the Ural, and East Siberia. There is good reason to hope that they will be repatriated in the course of the present year, but, being in a condition of utter destitution, their return to countries such as Austria, Hungary, and Poland will constitute an additional burden on States already practically without resources. Roughly 300,000 Polish refugees, over 150,000 Lettish refugees, and large numbers of Esthonian, Lithuanian, and Roumanian refugees are scattered over vast territories in European Russia. Their repatriation will take several years to accomplish. On returning to their homes, these unfortunate men generally find their houses in ruins and their fields untilled. As soon as it is possible to penetrate into Russia, one of the principle tasks will be to organise better means of transport for the repatriation of these unfortunate people, and to supply them with linen, clothing and the material necessary to enable them to start life afresh. Reconstruction. There can be no question here of discussing the reconstruction of the vast Russian State which has suffered more through civil strife than from the war. It is enough to say that the problem, namely, sanitary reconstruction (specially child welfare) and eco nomic reconstruction (specially re-organisation of transports), constitutes the most important feature of future relief work. Relief organisations, either in the capacity of auxiliaries of the future Government of Russia, or as advance guard of the great work of reconstruction which Europe will have to carry out in Russia, must prepare to face one of the most formidable tasks which they have ever been called on to undertake. Repatriation. Serbia. Of all European States, Serbia, during recent years, has suffered most through the shifting of her population. The many thousands who were obliged to flee the country, have for the most part, returned, but there are still 50,000 children whose parents are unknown, and 150,000 orphans. All are in need of assistance. At the present time there are roughly 31,000 Russian refugees (of whom 10 % are children) in Serbia. Few among these persons are self-supporting, the remainder constituting a heavy burden on the country. There are also numerous refugees and foreign ex-prisoners of war. Reconstruction. The greater part of former Serbia was devastated during the war. The problem of reconstruction is therefore most serious, it being still necessary to rebuild hundreds of ruined villages, and thousands of houses. Owing to the lack of sanitation, and as a result of privations, 35 % of the population was attacked by tuberculosis during 1920, which, when added to the already existing tubercular cases gives a total of 75-80%. About 72% of the children are tuberculous. The country suffers greatly through lack of modern sanitary organisations, such as hospitals, clinics, sanatoria, schools of nursing, and child welfare centres and dispensaries. The country is further without technical facilities and the experience necessary to teach the people and the younger generation the elementary principles of hygiene. There is no possibility of assisting the thousands of war disabled and sick. The situation of many of these victims of the war is very distressing. There is no actual shortage of food, although hygienic and social conditions are too unsettled to ensure a fair distribution of supplies amongst the various classes of the population. The situation in Turkey is very precarious. Not only are there over 100,000 Russian refugees in Constantinople and its immediate neighbourhood, but, owing to the redistribution of territory be tween Bulgaria, Serbia and (more especially) Greece, large numbers of Turkish refugees have fled from the countries in which they were established and are assembled in large numbers in various other parts of Turkish territory. Further following on the advance of the Greek troops in Asia Minor, considerable numbers of refugees have sought shelter in Constantinople, and in the neighbourhood of Scutari. The refugee problem cannot be solved by Turkey single-handed, partly owing to political conditions, and partly because of the destitute condition of the native population. It will be essential, as far as possible, to relieve the country of the foreign refugees. Reconstruction. The situation of Turkish children is appalling. Large numbers of orphans have not yet found homes in regular institutes. In several parts of Turkish territory, both in Asia and Europe, there is a complete lack of medical, sanitary, and charitable organisations (children's hospitals, homes, infant clinics, etc.). |