HORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION RIDIONAL COMrUTTP:E
·., F/:1.04/10 3 Jt.ugucrt.~l95S WEST~~
PACIFIC REGION
Fourth Session Tokyo . 3rd to 8th September 1953 HEALTH PROBLa1 OF REFUGEI<E
(Agenda Item 12'.1.1.) T~ Minister of Health, Re:public of Korea, in submitting the aboye top;ic as an.. item for the agenda · of the Fourth Session of the WH!)rRegi<>nal Committee for the Western Pacific stated as follows:
"The ..current world situation has produced a great number of refugees in various places in the world. World Health Organization should consider the measures_for · maintaining health of the refug~e population for which no sp€~ial attention is presently , b eing paid internationally. UNCACK is now providing limited relief and m~dical care for refu~ees in Korea. World Healt}l Qr.gal)ization · will make a ,survw on health status of ref'l,lgees 'and will draw a pattern .or pro:f~ssionaJ.. recommendations which be applicable for .health of over all refugees groups in the various countries."
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The Secretary of the Regional Committee suemits the following background information to facilitate discussion .. Inter-governmental, governmental and voluntary agencies ·have done and are doing useful work for the welfare of refugees. WHO has made and is making a significant contribution. Thr9t1ghout the years the International Committee of the Red Cross has laboured unremit-~ingly for the greater protection, under international law, of the individual against the hardships of war. In this engeavour, the Committee successively elaborated the humanitarian conventions and a:3apted them to . currer;t needs, or instituted new instl'Ulllents. Following vlorld \tJar II, UNRRA and IFIO worked under the United Nations on a world-wide scale. During four years, IRO assisted over .one anq a half million refugees and displaced persons .. repatriating TI.,695 and resettling 965,206. In camps, the medical and ·health needs /of refugees were met
WP/RC4/10 3 .:.uyot. 19$3.. Page 2 of refugees were met by the improve;mep.t of environmental sanitation and the provision of ·preventive · and. curative medical ca~e, .1\~l efforts were made to fulfil - nutritional requirements and to promote maternal and child health. In January 1951 1 IRO's activities ended and a High Commissioner's Office for Refugees was set up. The High Commissioner's Office provides protection for refugees and displaced persons by the conclusion of international conventions or special agreements with governm~nts anp by assisting governments and private organizations. Late in 1948, the World Health Organization assumed responsibility .f or th~ technical co-ordination of the health programme administered '·b-j' the United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees (UNRPR), assigned a chief medical ·officer and a medical officer and made available in 1949 a grant of $50 1 000 to cover the cost of sanitation, anti-malaria and other public health equipment and supplies to meet the needs of the Palestine refugees. This grant was renewed in 1950. The United Nations Relief and \vorks Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRtlAPRNE) took over from UNRPR. WHO, by agreement, continued to proviqe advisory and consultative health services as required in the Agency's total health programme and to supervise the technical aspects of the progi_'anune. :The Organization now provides the services of a chief medical officer and a malariologist/ while the grant 'il1 funds has been discont'i nued. Other UN and voluntary agencies' are · also co-operating and assisting in this relief work which extends to about 900,000 refugees in Arab states bordering on Israel. In 1951, at the request · of India, \.VHO provided $30 1 000 for medical supplies to combat epidemics arising as a result of acute famine in the State of Bihar. In the same year; at the request of Turkey, the WHO provided $55,000 for medical supplies to help solve the health problems presented by the influx of refugees into that country. Turkey late.r returned '~35 1 000 to the Organization. The Executive Board. when voting these funds pointed out that they should not constitute precedents. In 1951, WHO made available the sum of $245,344 for relief to the Civilian ·population in Korea. At present the United Nations Civil AssistancEl Command {UNCACK) is responsible for the relief and medical care of refugees in Korea. It has been·estimated that there are over three million refugees in South Korea. Housing is inadequate /and food is a problem.
WP/RC4/10 3 :_ u·?.Udt 1953 P~s€; 3 and food is a problem. Many civilian hospitals have been devastated Others have been requisitioned fo~ army use.. The V!IO/U~lKRA Health Planning Mission stated in its report that the ·need for medical rehabilitation is gi'eat among the civilian amputees, crippled, blind1 etc. · It recommended the reorganization of the public dispensaries so that. ultimately about 3 70 of them will function as health units. This step i f taken early,. would no doubt also improve the welfare of the refugees. by war.
The United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency (tJNKRA) will, 180 days after the cessation of hostilities, assume responsibility for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction. The report of the WHO/UNK.~ Health Planning Mission has been accepted. It is expected that 1mKRi'i. ~rill implement the recommendations contained therein, subject to availability of funds. WHO has offered to give technical advice and to give assistance in the r~cruitment of personnel and the placement of fellows. The care and maintenance of refugees are the responsibility of the governments of the countries and territories in which the refugees find themselves. Since the World Health Organization can only give advice and render assistance at the request of governments, the survey as suggested by the Korean Minister of Health can only be made following a government request. Among refugees, the major problems are sanitation, malnutrition and communicable diseases. As in any corn6Unity, there are the vuln~rable groups - infants, children, pregnant women, nursing mothers, the sick and the aged. Usually, health services such as environmental sanitation, preventive and curative medicine, rehabilatation and health education are required. If circumstances were favourable, repatriation, emigration, assimilation would normally and quickly reduce the numbers of refugees. However, a small number of refugees who are too young, too old or too sick, would · form a so-called "hard core 11 which might remain indefinitely in camps to be handed over by one administration to another. From experience gained by IRO, the United ~lations High Commissioner's Office for Refugees can make available to governments upon request, considerable information on the services, including preventive and curative medical care, that would be required by refugeGs and on how these can be organized. However, health problems vary among groups of refugees whether iz;t the same country or in different countries. The health measures that can be taken depend on the resources available in such countries for the welfare of refugees. It would not be feasible to set up uniform health standards applicable to all refugee groups. /For financial reasons,
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For financial reas~ns, .it w:ould be illlpossibie in the future for WHO to provide for .the me~cal relief of refugees. The World · Heal~h O!ganization; .upon ·request, can give technical advice and assist in .the co-ordination of international assistance to governments in solving refugee health problems within their territories.