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Thousands of Jewish Refugees in Siberia Cannot Be Contacted, Polish Embassy Reports

June 4, 1942
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The Polish embassy in Soviet Russia is meeting great difficulties in attempting to contact the thousands of Polish and Jewish refugees from Poland who are now stranded on Soviet soil, it was revealed here today in a report which the embassy prepared for the Polish Government in London.

The report estimates that of the 1,500,000 Polish and Jewish refugees, only about one-third have been contacted so far. The remainder are scattered throughout the remotest sections of Siberia to where it is practically impossible to send relief because of the lack of communications in that part of the country.

With the permission of the Soviet Government more than 300 offices have been opened by the Polish embassy in the areas where the refugees from Poland are concentrated, the report states. Food and medical supplies received by the Polish embassy from America and England are being distributed by these offices. Approximately 9,000,000 pounds of food received from abroad have already been distributed among the refugees.

In view of the fact that many children have lost their parents, the Polish embassy has opened orphan homes where 3,000 children from Poland are maintained. It also has established eleven homes for aged and ten hospitals in various, parts of Russia.

Information reaching Polish embassy circles here states that the Polish Government-in-exile has spent $5,000,000 in providing refugees in Russia with food and clothing.

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