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J. D. C. Aids 3,200 Hungarian Jews in Austria; More Expected

November 29, 1956
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There are 3,200 Hungarian Jewish refugees registered with the Joint Distribution Committee in Austria and there may be others scattered in various Austrian Government camps who have not yet been put in touch with the JDC Fred Zeigellau, JDC director in Austria, reported today. He said that 1,900 of the 3,200 registered Hungarian Jews arrived in the last six days.

Mr. Zeigellaub said that the proportion of Jewish refugees in relation to all Hungarians who entered Austria is about three times as great as the proportion of Jews to the remainder of the Hungarian population. The preliminary JDC survey revealed that 55 percent of the Jewish refugees are male, that 19 percent are children below 16 and three percent are over 60 years of age. The majority of those over 16 had been engaged in manual labor in Hungary. 11 percent had been professionals, 32 percent were skilled workers and 22 percent were unskilled.

So far the JDC has been able to meet the needs of all applicants, Mr. Zeigellaub disclosed, although the hardest task has been to provide them with housing. However, in view of the expectation of the refugees imminent emigration this problem has been solved. But, he stressed, if the refugees cannot move on the situation will become unbearable under the continued pressure of new refugees.

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