The greatest exodus of Jews from Arab countries to France since the evacuation of the majority of the Jews there from Algeria in 1962 was reported today by the Fonds Social Juif Unifie, central French Jewish welfare agency, to the European headquarters of the Joint Distribution Committee.
From the middle of June, following the Arab-Israeli war, to the middle of September, a total of 9,200 Jewish newcomers applied to the FSJU affiliated welfare agencies for some form of assistance. About 700 of them applied for relief between Sept. 11 and Sept. 15. These services are financed jointly by the FSJU and the JDC.
The FSJU report stressed that the total number of arrivals was far greater than those who registered for assistance. It pointed out that on the basis of past experience, many arrivals who have not sought assistance will have to do so in coming months. Funds to cover the additional demands will be woefully inadequate, the report noted, since neither the French agency nor the JDC had made provisions for these extra demands in 1967.
A breakdown of the registrations showed that 2,800 families registered for help. There are 850 children sent to France by families which remained behind in North Africa. Most of the new arrivals paid for their own transportation and applied for help in France only when their own funds ran out.
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