Relief Administration Research Articles

When ‘Seeing Was Believing’

Focusing on the pivotal period of 1919–23 and the large-scale humanitarian responses in Central and Eastern Europe, this paper discusses the development of advocacy in the movies made by organizations like the ICRC, Save the Children Fund or American Relief Administration. While aid agencies observed and competed with each other for visibility, humanitarian cinema shaped visual advocacy, grounded in the idea that ‘seeing is believing’. Exploring the fragmented audiovisual archives, as well as magazines and promotional material, this paper explores the testimonial function of humanitarian films in the 1920s. It first shows that the immediacy of the cinema technology increased the immersive and affective experience of the viewers by using forensic evidence and images of the body in pain. It then analyses how these films compelled audiences to witness suffering and act through persuasion, suggestion, and emotions. Finally, it inquires into the use of eyewitness images and first-hand accounts during the screenings, to show how these movies operated within larger regimes of visibility, while making claims on behalf of distant beneficiaries.

Defining the ‘best interests’ of children during the post-1945 transformations in Europe

After World War II, the welfare workers of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and International Refugee Organization took care of refugee children in post-war Germany and assisted them in returning to their home countries. This article analyses the changes in welfare workers’ decisions about the future of unaccompanied displaced children of presumably Ukrainian origin in the light of the post-1945 transformations. It explores the relationship of transformations in the humanitarian approach to child resettlement with geopolitical ruptures between the former Allies after 1945. It aims to demonstrate that by 1947, welfare workers’ preconceived notion that the ‘best interests’ of Ukrainian children were served by reconnecting them with family and homeland, wherever possible, had given way in the face of political transformations that welfare workers confronted on the ground during the transition from war to peace. Despite their deep commitment to restoring children to their national and familial roots, they soon began to consider that allowing Ukrainian refugee children to emigrate was better for them than their repatriation to Soviet Ukraine.

COVID-19 PANDEMIC BUSINESS RELIEF: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SOUTH AFRICA AND SELECTED EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

The novel coronavirus, also known as Covid-19, has affected people globally. The reality of reduced working hours set in, and a contraction in consumer demand and business confidence began, leading to a reduction in spending and investment. Travel restrictions were put in place, trade was halted, and most of the way we were used to living changed drastically. To combat economic losses and complete economic shutdown, governments were forced to rollout relief policies to aid businesses and reduce financial losses. These policies include tax and bank payment holidays, underwriting of loans, job retention schemes, value-added tax (VAT) deferments, grants, and mortgage breaks. This study aimed to analyse the support policies that several European countries applied to assist businesses and compare them to South Africa. The study followed a qualitative exploratory research design using secondary data obtained from several open-source documents obtained from various government and non-governmental websites. Thematic analysis using Atlas.ti was used to analyse and report the data. Five themes emanated from the study: Business stability measures, Social support, Post-Covid recovery measures, Liquidity measures for businesses and Transmission prevention. In comparison with South Africa, several similarities were present in the Disaster Management Tax Relief Administration Bill. Yet, despite the commonalities that persist and the fact that South Africa shares in the spirit of the themes applied by the European nations, it is comparatively weaker when the breadth and scale of its interventions are compared. © 2021, Czestochowa University of Technology. All rights reserved.

The "Penicillin Project" of the he United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration as a factor of aggravation of the Soviet American relations

The analysis of the declassified documents of the Russian State Archive of Economics and the State Archive of the Russian Federation made it possible to establish that the project of the United Nations Relief and Reconstruction Administration was not a priority in the USSR for supplying equipment for penicillin factories to the two Soviet republics. Of greater interest was the acquisition in the United States of expensive high-performance plant equipped with the latest machinery, albeit for cash payment. This prioritization affected time-frame and implementation progress of the UNRRA penicillin project and facilitated manipulation on part of the United States. In aggregate with distrust of the USSR in quality of the supplied equipment and the hope for alternative sources of obtaining necessary scientific and technical information, this resulted in loss of interest to this project. The turned out situation affected correspondingly on the attitude of the Soviet Government to the UNRRA missions operating on the territory of the Soviet Republics and to the leadership of the organization itself and contributed to the further exacerbation the of Soviet-American relations.

Costs and Benefits of Improving Farm Animal Welfare

It costs money to improve the welfare of farm animals. For people with animals under their care, there are many factors to consider regarding changes in practice to improve welfare, and the optimal course of action is not always obvious. Decision support systems for animal welfare, such as economic cost–benefit analyses, are lacking. This review attempts to provide clarity around the costs and benefits of improving farm animal welfare, thereby enabling the people with animals under their care to make informed decisions. Many of the costs are obvious. For example, training of stockpeople, reconfiguration of pens, and administration of pain relief can improve welfare, and all incur costs. Other costs are less obvious. For instance, there may be substantial risks to market protection, consumer acceptance, and social licence to farm associated with not ensuring good animal welfare. The benefits of improving farm animal welfare are also difficult to evaluate from a purely economic perspective. Although it is widely recognised that animals with poor welfare are unlikely to produce at optimal levels, there may be benefits of improving animal welfare that extend beyond production gains. These include benefits to the animal, positive effects on the workforce, competitive advantage for businesses, mitigation of risk, and positive social consequences. We summarise these considerations into a decision tool that can assist people with farm animals under their care, and we highlight the need for further empirical evidence to improve decision-making in animal welfare.

A Chronicle of the Pandemic: Hugh Gibson’s Notes on the “Spanish Flu” of 1918

A Chronicle of the Pandemic: Hugh Gibson’s Notes on the “Spanish Flu” of 1918 Hugh Gibson (1883–1954) was a young American diplomat who had a knack for landing in the thick of the action. During the pandemic of 1918, he found himself in Paris tasked with advising General John Pershing on diplomatic matters, straightening out the morass of American propaganda in Europe, and collaborating with military intelligence. To this was added the role of official US liaison to the Polish and Czech national committees. His multiple tasks were carried out against the backdrop of the dramatic last six months of the Great War. The Armistice of November 1918 arrived on the heels of the deadly second wave of the “Spanish Flu”. Gibson then turned his attention from military matters to humanitarian aid for all of Europe as diplomatic adviser to Herbert Hoover’s American Relief Administration. Throughout the tumultuous year from spring 1918 to spring 1919, Gibson experienced the Spanish Flu from multiple angles: military, diplomatic, international, refugee, care-giver, and a personal bout with the flu. Using excerpts from An American in Europe at War and Peace: Hugh Gibson’s Chronicles, 1918–1919 (edited by Vivian Reed and Jochen Böhler, DeGruyter Oldenbourg, Fall 2020), this article traces Gibson’s fascinating journey through a historic pandemic.

ДІЯЛЬНІСТЬ ПОЛЬСЬКО-АМЕРИКАНСЬКОГО КОМІТЕТУ ДОПОМОГИ ДІТЯМ ТА АМЕРИКАНСЬКОЇ АДМІНІСТРАЦІЇ ДОПОМОГИ (АРА) НА ТЕРИТОРІЇ ПОЛЬСЬКОЇ РЕСПУБЛІКИ У МІЖВОЄННИЙ ПЕРІОД

The end of the First World War was a consequence of a whole range of significant problems in the countries of Eastern Europe. These include the general poverty of the population, the decline of the rural industry and industrial production, the general political crisis that increased the popularity of radical communist movements, the change of geopolitical formation in Europe. The main factor that led to the destruction of the imperialist system was World War the first. On the ruins of empires, new independent countries are emerging, including the restored Republic of Poland or the Second Commonwealth. The whole list of problems that often reinforced each other was extremely difficult to overcome solely with the country inner capabilities and reserves. In fact, the period of the 20-30s of the twentieth century becomes the era of the expansion of the international philanthropic organizations activities, among which an important role was taken by American subsidiary organizations. These include the American Relief Administration (ARA), the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and some religious organizations such as the American Mennonites and others. Quite often these organizations were united, sometimes acting separately, or transferring the relay activity from one to another. The involvement of American philanthropic organizations in dealing with the needy countries of Eastern Europe has become possible due to a number of factors. The following of them are the departure from the policy of isolationism, the rapid increase in the US labor productivity, the crisis of overproduction, the formation within the American society of a humanists and philanthropists layer, mainly among the richest and the most influential entrepreneurs (Andrew Carnegie, John Rockefeller, Jacob Schiff, Herbert Hoover, etc.), who, having earned enormous wealth, created non-governmental charitable foundations with the aim of financing the philanthropic projects. Thus the activity of Herbert Hoover American humanitarian organization (the American Relief Administration (ARA)) which was started in 1919 in the US changed the general economic and social situation. Its main purpose was to provide food for Polish children needs. ARA launched a whole network of dining-rooms throughout Poland.

Bioavailability of subcutaneous and intramuscular administrated buprenorphine in New Zealand White rabbits

BackgroundBuprenorphine is one of the most used analgesics for postoperative pain in rabbits. The recommended dose in rabbits (0.01–0.05 mg/kg) is the same for intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), and subcutaneous (SC) administration, despite lack of pharmacokinetic data. Five male and five female New Zealand White rabbits (mean ± SD body weight 3.1 ± 0.3 kg) were administered 0.05 mg/kg buprenorphine by the IV, IM and SC routes and 0.1 mg/kg by the SC route, in a cross-over design with two-week wash-out periods between treatments. Blood was collected before, and up to 8 h post buprenorphine injection, for determination of serum levels by UPHLC-MS/MS.ResultsThe area under the time concentration curve (AUC0-t) was lower after SC (398 ± 155 ng/mL/min) than IM (696 ± 168 ng/mL/min, p < 0.001) and IV (789 ± 189 ng/mL/min, p < 0.001) administration. The maximum serum concentration was lower after SC (2.2 ± 1.4 ng/mL) than after IM (11 ± 3.2 ng/mL) administration (p < 0.001). The bioavailability was lower after SC (50 ± 19%) than after IM (95 ± 21%) administration (p = 0.006). The elimination half-life was longer after SC (260 ± 120 min) than after IM (148 ± 26 min, p = 0.002) as well as IV (139 ± 33 min) injection (p < 0.001). An increase in the SC dose from 0.05 to 0.1 mg/kg resulted in an increase in the area under the time concentration curve of 50% in female (p = 0.022) and 165% in male rabbits (p < 0.001). The bioavailability did not change in the females (36 ± 14%, p = 0.6), whereas it increased in the males (71 ± 23%, p = 0.008).ConclusionsThe lower bioavailability of 0.05 mg/kg buprenorphine after SC administration could explain the lack of efficacy seen in clinical pain studies in rabbits, using this route. For immediate pain relief, IV or IM administration is therefore be recommended, whereas SC administration may be useful to sustain analgesic serum levels, once efficient pain relief has been achieved. The current data do not support an increase in dose to compensate for the lower SC bioavailability.

Vloga Unrre pri oskrbi in repatriaciji jugoslovanskih razseljenih oseb v Italiji (1945–1947)

S kritično analizo arhivskih virov, ki jih hrani Arhiv Organizacije združenih narodov v New Yorku, in s pomočjo literature članek prikazuje preskrbo in repatriacijo jugoslovanskih razseljenih oseb iz Italije v Jugoslavijo ob posredniški pomoči Uprave združenih narodov za pomoč in obnovo – UNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration). Jugoslavija je zahtevala repatriacijo razseljenih oseb neposredno po koncu spopadov, a mnoge so se vračale še v letih 1946 in 1947, precejšnje število pa je emigriralo v tretje države.

З думкою про допомогу: АРА на Півдні України у 1921-1923 рр.

Розкрито діяльність однієї з ключових міжнародних організацій допомоги у південноукраїнському регіоні – Американської адміністрації допомоги (АРА).&#x0D; Протягом квітня-червня 1922 р. АРА організувала мережу їдалень у Миколаївській та Одеській губерніях (820), де харчувалося 192774 дітей і 1045 дорослих. Також сухі пайки й обіди отримували діти та дорослі закритих установ (дитячих будинків, лікарень, санаторіїв, студентських їдалень тощо). Загалом отримували допомогу 427624 особи.&#x0D; Окрім харчування АРА розподіляла продуктові та речові посилки, надавала медичну допомогу (організація медичних пунктів, лазень, поставки медикаментів, лікування хвороб, профілактика захворювань, поширення медичної літератури тощо).&#x0D; АРА завершила свою роботу у червні 1923 р., а 15 липня 1923 р. було ліквідовано український осередок організації і 20 липня 1923 р. було закрито центральний офіс місії у Москві.

T. J. Woofter Jr. and Government Social Science Research During the New Deal, World War II, and the Cold War

AbstractThe work of southern sociologist Thomas Jackson Woofter Jr. (1893–1972) is frequently cited by American historians, but his contribution to government policy on agriculture in the New Deal, Social Security in the 1940s, and demography in the Cold War remains underappreciated. He left the University of North Carolina to direct government research on rural relief in the 1930s, Social Security enhancement during and after World War II, and foreign population and manpower projections during the Cold War. Contributing to the delivery of essential programs in key agencies, he participated in internal and external debates over policy and social attitudes between 1930 and 1960. Woofter worked for the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, the Works Progress Administration, the Farm Security Agency, the Federal Security Agency, and the Central Intelligence Agency, improving data-gathering and assisting transitions in federal policymaking. This article assesses his role in those agencies, using official records, other primary materials, and secondary sources.

Bordering and Repatriation: Displaced Unaccompanied Children from the Polish–Ukrainian Borderland after World War II

ABSTRACT After the end of World War II, the welfare workers of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) and, from 1947, the International Refugee Organization (IRO) took care of displaced children and helped them to return to their home countries. This paper explores how the post-war controversies between the Soviet and Anglo-American governments and (re)bordering of the Polish–Soviet borderland changed the welfare workers’ approach to interpret belonging of unaccompanied displaced children of presumably Ukrainian origin. In the winter of 1945 the region of Eastern Poland was annexed by the Soviet Union. In the summer of 1945, British and American officials declared that they refused to recognize the acquisition of these territories by the Soviet Union. In result, the repatriation of unaccompanied Ukrainian children who originally came from this borderland became the subjects of intense controversy between the former Allies. The welfare workers used the fact of these children's belonging to the Polish–Soviet borderland as an argument against their repatriation to the Soviet Union. By looking into the social dimension of bordering processes, this article suggests that the UNRRA's and IRO's social workers redefined the border between the two countries in their daily work.

Of Minds, Morals, and Methods: Combining Moral Meteorology and Disaster Relief in Historiography of China’s Disaster Management

In this working paper, I argue that disaster management in high Qing period can be better understood by simultaneously considering the historiographies of how governing elites understood disasters at the metaphysical level and the administration of disaster relief. During High Qing late imperial China, the regime encountered rapid changes in population, economy, and environment. Following how environmental historian Mark Elvin describes the prevalent ideology that guided Chinese governing elites on implicating human conduct with the manifestation of disasters as “moral meteorology”, I link it to the granary system so as to underscore how these two related but separate streams of historiographical work are inextricably related. I further discuss the role of ever-normal granary (changping cang, 常平仓) in disaster relief administration, nothing how its purpose went beyond solely grain provision in the wake of disasters. In the paper, I also point out that the multipurpose granary system, with its intensive demands for resources and attention, finally collapsed by the mid-nineteenth century. Finally, I propose that the approach of combining intellectual and administrative historiographies offer a useful general framework to examine the historiography of disaster management beyond the high Qing period or imperial China.

Cutaneous mastocytoma with eosinophilia and eosinophilic infiltration of the small intestine in an Arabian gelding

A 12-year-old Arabian gelding presented to the University of Adelaide for investigation of a firm subcutaneous mass, just proximal to the digital flexor tendon sheath of the right forelimb, that...

Urals Chekists and the American Relief Administration (1921–1923)

Urals Chekists and the American Relief Administration (1921–1923)

Assessing the water quality impacts of two Category-5 hurricanes on St. Thomas, Virgin Islands

Managing waterborne and water-related diseases is one of the most critical factors in the aftermath of hurricane-induced natural disasters. The goal of the study was to identify water-quality impairments in order to set the priorities for post-hurricane relief and to guide future decisions on disaster preparation and relief administration. Field investigations were carried out on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands as soon as the disaster area became accessible after the back-to-back hurricane strikes by Irma and Maria in 2017. Water samples were collected from individual household rain cisterns, the coastal ocean, and street-surface runoffs for microbial concentration. The microbial community structure and the occurrence of potential human pathogens were investigated in samples using next generation sequencing. Loop mediated isothermal amplification was employed to detect fecal indicator bacteria, Enterococcus faecalis. The results showed both fecal indicator bacteria and Legionella genetic markers were prevalent but were low in concentration in the water samples. Among the 22 cistern samples, 86% were positive for Legionella and 82% for Escherichia-Shigella. Enterococcus faecalis was detected in over 68% of the rain cisterns and in 60% of the coastal waters (n = 20). Microbial community composition in coastal water samples was significantly different from cistern water and runoff water. Although identification at bacterial genus level is not direct evidence of human pathogens, our results suggest cistern water quality needs more organized attention for protection of human health, and that preparation and prevention measures should be taken before natural disasters strike.

2252. Patient Preferences for Triazole Antifungals in the Treatment of Invasive Mold Infection: A Discrete Choice Experiment

BackgroundInvasive mold infections (IMIs) are an increasing cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.1 Pharmacological differences among the currently available mold-active triazoles make treatment selection complex.1 To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to assess patient preferences for mold-active triazoles in IMI treatment.MethodsPatients were included if they were aged ≥ 18 years with investigator-confirmed invasive aspergillosis or invasive mucormycosis; had received voriconazole, isavuconazonium sulfate or posaconazole within ≤ 1 week previously; and were outpatients for ≥ 3 weeks. Participants were presented with 14 choice cards, each with two hypothetical treatments with varying levels of attributes, and asked to select their preferred treatment. Preference weights for attribute levels were analyzed using conditional logit regression and used to calculate the impact of changes in attribute levels on patient choices; relative attribute importance (RAI); and patient willingness to pay (WTP; monthly out-of-pocket cost) for an attribute improvement.ResultsOf 50 participants, 52% were female and the mean age was 47.3 years; 40%, 40%, and 28% had used posaconazole, voriconazole and isavuconazonium sulfate, respectively (Figure 1). Route of administration (27% RAI), treatment duration (22% RAI), and chance of symptom relief after treatment (20% RAI) were the most important attributes for patients (Figure 2). The odds ratios for patients choosing oral suspension or tablets/capsules over IV infusion were 5.6 and 4.5, respectively (P < 0.001) (Figure 3); patients were willing to pay an additional $205/month or $180/month out of pocket for these respective routes of administration over IV (Figure 4). The odds ratio for patients choosing a 30-day over a 90-day treatment were 4.1 (P < 0.001) (Figure 3); this decrease in duration was valued by patients at $168/month (Figure 4). For a 50% vs. 30% chance of symptom relief, the odds ratio was 3.5 (P < 0.001) (Figure 3) and WTP was $147.89/month (Figure 4).ConclusionPatients considered route of administration, treatment duration and chance of symptom relief to be the most important IMI treatment attributes among mold-active triazoles. 1Jenks JD et al. (2019) Med Mycol 57:S168–S178 Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

In Addition to Death: Maria and Monongah’s Aftermath

Abstract This article identifies the social and cognitive norms that degraded the value of a largely descriptive mining literature by examining the aftermath of the 1907 Monongah explosions and the experiences of a transnational migrant, Maria. The literature treated death as only a physical reality, not a social construction, and recovery as procedural, not causal, and emotions relegated to death, not shaped by other ordeals, while neglecting women’s experiences in exploring aftermath organization and its consequences. This work uses primary sources and substantiated memories to illustrate how covert recovery of dead miners made horrors beyond death, rational administration of relief made distributions seem arbitrary, and how tortured memories helped corroborate the recovery’s covert operations. Findings show not only relations between aftermath organization and intimate sorrows of a widow but also how biography expands the frames of time, action, and consequence. Maria’s life also demonstrates the importance of language, culture, and character in exploring disasters. Though an ordinary and imperfect woman, Maria affirms the importance of gender in exploring the intricacies of social organization and social history. This work also—and unexpectedly—confirms the importance of time, particularly when a disaster-related and fatal consequence occurred almost two decades after the explosions.

Humanitarian Aid in the “Bulwark Against Bolshevism”: The American Relief Administration and the Quest for Sovereignty in Post-World War I Romania

Humanitarian Aid in the “Bulwark Against Bolshevism”: The American Relief Administration and the Quest for Sovereignty in Post-World War I Romania

Granulocyte transfusions could benefit patients with severe oral mucositis after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Mucositis is a common complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and is caused by a combination of conditioning-induced mucosal damage and severe neutropenia. The symptoms include oral and abdominal pain, inability to swallow food and fluids, and severe diarrhoea. Severe mucositis is associated with increased risk of Graft-versus-Host disease and infection. Granulocyte transfusions (GCX) could be a treatment option, and our objective was to study its feasibility and potential benefits. This retrospective, single-centre study included 30 patients receiving GCX because of severe oral mucositis after HSCT during 2005-2017. Clinical outcome, response to GCX, change in opiate administration and adverse events were studied. Twenty-seven patients received GCX from donors pre-treated with steroids and G-CSF, and three from donors pre-treated with steroids only. Overall response was 83% (24/29 evaluable patients). Fifteen patients reached a complete response. In 14 of 24 responders, a reduction of the administration of opiate pain relief was seen. In eight patients this reduction was ≥50% of the dose. Adverse events (AEs) were reported in 14 cases, and were mild to moderate, and well manageable with symptomatic treatment. No life-threatening or fatal AEs were recorded. These results indicate that GCX could be a safe and effective treatment for oral mucositis after HSCT with the potential to reduce the necessity of opiate analgesic treatment in this disorder. No severe AEs were seen in this study, but the risk for severe pulmonary AEs after GCX needs to be considered.