Children and World War II: American Relief Effort

World War II hungry children
Figure 1.-- Axis troops as the invaded and occupied areas were ordered to live off the land and seize needed food supplies from the occupied areas. This caused food shortages and in several cases famines. The United States Army brought its food supplies from home. Not only did the United States not requisition local food supplies, but provided food aid to ensure that liberated people had the food they needed, preventing large-scale starvation. And as the GI's advanced, they were often willing to share their food rations, especially wih hungary children. The press caption for this photograph taken somewhere south of Rome read, "Two guests for dinner: If Pvt. Frank J. Provnsano [note the Italian name], of New York City, expects to get any of his noon-day chow, he had better carry his mess kit away from these two hungary Italian lads. The Fifth Army fighter may be humgary, himself, but he is doing a noble job of promoting friemdship." The photograph is dated January 20, 19i44. The boy on the left has a GI cap worn under helmets during the winter.

United States food aid saved millions of lives in Europe which s starving after World War I. There was a special effort placed on feeding children. The same mission of mercy also occurred during and after World War II. The enormous productivity of American farms allowed it not only to feeds its people, but also provide food to the armies of its allies as well as civilian populations. This began even before America entered the War. The American Lend Lease Program approved by Congess (March 1941) is best known for providing arms and military supplies to World War II allies. Lend Lease aid also included large quatities of food. Food shipments to Britain and the Soviets Union. American and Canadian food aid was vital in keeping Britain in the War. American food aid was also vital in assisting the Soviet Union which was near staevation after the Germans seized much of the country's most productive agricultural land. Soviet agriculture was already weakened by Stalin's NKVD which he ordered to murder millions of Ukranian peasant farmers and their families before the War--many of the country's best farmers. Tragically it was not possible to get food aid to China because the Japanese controlled the ports. The American Army unlike the Axis armies brought its food with it. Here Australia was a major exception, primarily to reserve scare shipping to men and military equipment. Axis countries seized food from the countries they occupied, causing serious shortages. American GIs first were deoloyed in Britain where the local children soon recognized them as an exhaustable source of candy and a brand new sensation--bubble gum. As American Armies enteed Europe they worked with civilian autoriries in liberated countries to ensur the food supply. And soldiers not uncommonly shared food with civilians. The United States and allied countries formed the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) to provide relief in war-torn countries. This was a U.N. program before the United Nations existed. Most of the food and other aid distributed by UNRRA came from the United States. UNRRA suceeded in distributing some $4.5 billion of food and supplies in Europe, mostly after the War while the Europeans moved to rebuild their shattered economies. Only after the War was the United States able to get food ship,ents to the countries occupied by the Axis countries. Here the occupied countries of Western Europe (France, Belgium, and the Netherlands) had strong agricultural sectors, but aid was needed until the farmers in these countries could ger back to full production and the transport system restored. . The United States did not just povide food aid to its allies and the people in liberated countries. After the War, the United States provided aid to people in defeated Axis countries. This was done through the Government and Relief in Occupied Areas (GARIOA) program. The United States provided emergency food aid to the people of the occupied Axis countries (Austria, Japan, and Germany). The aid was predominantly food shipments to prevent starvation in the defeated countries. Germany and Japan were not self sufficent in food, and with the destruction of the transport system, these countrues were in desperate straits. In addotion to massive Government relief efforts were many charitable efforts to assist the devestated people of Europe and Asia.

World War I

United States food aid saved millions of lives in Europe which s starving after World War I. There was a special effort placed on feeding children. The American Red Cross did not just conduct programs at home or for American soldiers overseas. It played a major role in American relief efforts overseas that prevented millions of Europeans from starving. This was because of its overseas organization, made it the organizational infrastructure to handle food and other relief programs. This was especially the case after America entered the War. Many charitable and volunteer groups organized drives to collect funds, food, medical suplies, blankets, clothing. For example the food here was collected and packaged by the Greek War Relief Association. Such groups, however, had no way of getting the food and other relief supplies to Europe and destributing it there. It was the Red Cross that proved to have the cability to deliver the relief supplies to desperate Europeans. It essentially acquired this role by default. American Relief started in Belgium with private donations. Eventually the U.S. Food Administration got involved, putting Government resources behind the relief effort. Just about every European country received American war relif and the Red Cross became the major American orgnization distributing food and other relief abroad: Armenians, Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Serbia. The food went to all kinds of distribution points, including food kitchens, schools, and orpohanages. It was a major salvation for refugees, but also civilian populations that had not been displaced, but were experiencing severe food shortages because of the War. The same mission of mercy also occurred during and after World War II.

American Agriculture

The enormous productivity of American farms allowed it not only to feeds its people, but also provide food to the armies of its allies as well as civilian populations. This began even before America entered the War. American agriculture was hard hit after World War I. They had substantially increased production to feed urope during World War I. After European countries began to recover, foreign demand began to fall. And the Europen countries began erecting high tariffs as part of a policy to strenhthen their domestic farm sectors. As a result, American farmers began experiencing depression conditions a decade before the industrial economy. For American farmers there was no Roaring 20s. The American population had ben shifting to the cities for decade and this process was pushed by the farm depression of the 1920s. And if all of this was not bad enough, the Deoression and Dust Bowl leveked a bidy blow to farmers, especially in the Southern Plains. Farm prices plummeted. Farmer ould not pay their mortgages. As a result, President Roosevelt's New Deal gave a great del of attention to American agriculture. Important programs helped improve farming methods, prevenbting the reoccurance of the Dust Bowl. a range of other programs helped., but it was not until the economy improved as a result of war orders from Europe that the farm dconomy revived. The New Deal's farm policies was cntered on reducing production to increase prices. Once America entered the War, this policy reversed. Suddenly theGoverment was incouraging the country's farmers to increase production and produce as much food as possible.

Lend Lease

The American Lend Lease Program approved by Congess (March 1941) is best known for providing arms and military supplies to World War II allies. Lend Lease aid also included large quatities of food. Food shipments to Britain and the Soviets Union. American and Canadian food aid was vital in keeping Britain in the War. American food aid was also vital in assisting the Soviet Union which was near staevation after the Germans seized much of the country's most productive agricultural land. Soviet agriculture was already weakened by Stalin's NKVD which he ordered to murder millions of Ukranian peasant farmers and their families before the War--many of the country's best farmers.

Country Efforts

America again acted to feed a starving Europe. The situation was even worse than in World War I. Food shortages in World War were an inadvertant result of the War. This was very different in World War II, both the Germans and Japanese used food as a weapon to murder people in the millions. As aresult, vastquantities if food were needed. Tragically it was not possible to get food aid into Axis occupied countries. China was a special problem because the Japanese controlled the ports and sized more and more of the best agriculturl land. The American Army unlike the Axis armies brought its food with it. Here Australia was a major exception, primarily to reserve scare shipping to men and military equipment. Axis countries seized food from the countries they occupied, causing serious shortages. American GIs first were deoloyed in Britain where the local children soon recognized them as an exhaustable source of candy and a brand new sensation--bubble gum. As American Armies enteed Europe they worked with civilian autoriries in liberated countries to ensur the food supply. And soldiers not uncommonly shared food with civilians. The United States and allied countries formed the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) to provide relief in war-torn countries. This was a U.N. program before the United Nations existed. Most of the food and other aid distributed by UNRRA came from the United States. UNRRA suceeded in distributing some $4.5 billion of food and supplies in Europe, mostly after the War while the Europeans moved to rebuild their shattered economies. Only after the War was the United States able to get food ship,ents to the countries occupied by the Axis countries. Here the occupied countries of Western Europe (France, Belgium, and the Netherlands) had strong agricultural sectors, but aid was needed until the farmers in these countries could ger back to full production and the transport system restored. The United States did not just povide food aid to its allies and the people in liberated countries.

Relief Organizations

UNRRA was The primary World War II trelief organization, but there were many others. After the War, the United States provided aid to people in defeated Axis countries. This was done through the Government and Relief in Occupied Areas (GARIOA) program. The United States provided emergency food aid to the people of the occupied Axis countries (Austria, Japan, and Germany). The aid was predominantly food shipments to prevent starvation in the defeated countries. Germany and Japan were not self sufficent in food, and with the destruction of the transport system, these countrues were in desperate straits. In addotion to massive Government relief efforts were many charitable efforts to assist the devestated people of Europe and Asia,







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Created: 9:57 PM 7/29/2014
Last updated: 11:16 AM 12/28/2015