UNRRA

The Allies chartered the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) at a 44-nation conference at the White House on November 9, 1943. The express purpose of the agency was the repatriation and support of refugees who would come under Allied control at the war’s end. The civilian relief teams of UNRRA were charged with coordinating relief efforts and managing the camps. UNRRA was also responsible for certifying welfare agencies for operations in the camps. Though the agency had considerable difficulty launching its operations immediately after liberation because of inexperienced personnel and the unforeseen scope of "unrepatriable" DPs, UNRRA was designated as the principal provider of care for the survivors following the Harrison Report. In late 1945 and 1946, UNRRA became an all-encompassing agency that oversaw both management of the DPs and relations with the central and camp committees. The protracted relief effort cost the United Nations billions and eventually led to the insolvency of the UNRRA. In late 1947, its tasks were delegated to its successor agency, the International Refugee Organization (IRO), which undertook similar responsibilities but concentrated more on financial security. Both agencies served as major employers for the Jewish DPs and their representative bodies. The agencies and their officers, including former New York mayor Fiorello La Guardia, who served as UNRRA director general from March 29, 1946, to January 1, 1947, set important precedents for the care of refugees.