U. N. Children’s Fund Reports $1,110,100 Aid for Israel

Israel has received a total of $1,110,100 worth of aid from the United Nations Children’s Fund, has matched that sum, and has additionally contributed to UNICEF a total of $139,000 through last year, the UNICEF reported today.

Israel’s relationship to UNICEF and its activities has been called by some social welfare experts here unusually intimate for a small country with relatively poor economic resources. One of the most active members of UNICEF’s executive committee for the last four years has been a member of Israel’s delegation, Mrs. Zena Harman. Several weeks ago, Mrs. Harman’s work on behalf of UNICEF was recognized when the entire executive committee by acclamation voted her into the second most important post in the organization, the job of chairman of the program committee.

The largest UNICEF expenditure in Israel, since the state was established, has been for child feeding, on which UNICEF spent a total of $393,000. From 1948 to 1952, UNICEF’s child feeding program in Israel provided food brought from outside Israel or bought locally. At the peak of this program’s activity, the figures show, 200,000 children and mothers were receiving UNICEF rations. That was in May of 1951. The feeding program was continued through early 1952 on a reduced scale for 50,000 school children and 4,000 infants, and has been discontinued since 1952 as no longer necessary.

UNICEF PROVIDING ISRAEL WITH MILK BOTTLING MACHINERY

Milk conservation in Israel was the next most costly UNICEF item, requiring an expenditure of $300,000. It was explained by UNICEF officials here that, although Israel has dairies for the pasteurization of milk, bottling facilities are limited. A large part of the milk produced in Israel is sold in bulk through shops and, in the opinion of UNICEF officials, there is danger of contamination. UNICEF, therefore, is providing machinery for milk bottling, together with bottle manufacturing equipment, and will supply refrigerating facilities for existing dairies in Haifa and Tel Aviv.

UNICEF officials here say that, in the milk conservation program, the Israel Government is assuming capital costs of installing needed machinery. In addition, Israel itself will provide funds at least double the value of UNICEF’s contribution for this purpose – to carry out free or subsidized distribution of bottled milk. The milk program is expected to benefit 500,000 mothers and children in Israel.

UNICEF has, to date, spent $85,400 on a tuberculosis prevention program in Israel, provided $23,000 worth of leather for shoes for newly arrived immigrant children, and spent $156,000 for maternal and child welfare. In the latter category is a general rehabilitation center for handicapped victims of poliomyelitis, now being built at Sarafand General Hospital. UNICEF is providing $20,000 equipment for the polio wing of this rehabilitation center. The United Nations World Health Organization is providing certain expert personnel and fellowships for this center.

It was pointed out here that the Israel Government’s contribution to the work of the Sarafand Rehabilitation Center is an example of the kind of cooperation all of the UN specialized agencies desire most from home governments. In this instance, the work and expenditure of UNICEF and WHO is not only being morally encouraged by Israel, but the government itself is spending at least $693,000 for the initial investment and for the first year’s operation of the center. On a per capita basis, Israel’s contributions to the work of UNICEF have amounted to nine and a half cents per person – considered a high rate by UNICEF officials here.