The advent of wintry weather is resulting in grave hardships and suffering for thousands of aged men and women interned in detention camps in unoccupied France, American relief offices here were informed today.
Most of the internees are Jewish refugees and other foreigners who sought shelter in France. In the Rivesaltes camp alone there are over 2,600 young children whom the American organizations are trying to assist.
While there has been some improvement in the food situation at the camps in recent months, largely as the result of the purchase of over 1,500 tons of vegetables and fruits for the internees by Jewish relief agencies with funds supplied by the American Joint Distribution Committee and grants made to camp commanders for supplementary supplies, increasing difficulties are now being met, according to the reports received here from field workers. This is due to the shortage of food supplies in France and difficulties in obtaining them.
The most urgent problem now, relief officials here declare, is to provide warm clothing for the internees and means of heating the camp barracks. Most of the camps, they pointed out, are located in exposed positions and provide little shelter. Heating facilities are lacking in almost every one of the internment centers. So far, it has been almost impossible to obtain fuel for those camps which have stoves.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
