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Pacific Stars & Stripes, Dec. 4, 1953

24th Div. Gives Emergency Care to 200 Homeless Pusan Orphans

PUSAN, Korea, Dec. 4- More than 200 orphans, left homeless and destitute by last week's fire in Pusan, are receiving emergency food, shelter, clothing and medical attention today as part of the U.S. 24th Division's Operation Haven, div. Hq. announced.

Present facilities are only temporary, a division spokesman explained, pending the completion of a six quonset-unit orphan village now under construction on the northern edge of the Korean port city. The village is slated for completion in ten days.

A majority of the children now being cared for came from the Kyung-nam Orphanage which has been receiving support from the division since early July. Plans have been made to build a new home for the children even before the fire leveled their former quarters.

Meanwhile, the Kyung-nam children, augmented by about 100 more orphans found huddled in dockside warehouses, are comfortable and happy in a camp loaned them by the 24th Div. Sleeping on mattresses with plenty of blankets in a heated quonset hut and eating well-prepared food has had its effect on the little waifs. There is no serious illness.

Extra needs, not able to be met from division or civil facilities are being provided for by a collection taken up from the men in the pay line Wednesday. Capt. Carlton F. McMillan, division Civil Affairs officer, who set up the temporary camp site within 24 hours of the fire, said that men of the 24th Div. "opened their hearts and their pocketbooks" to the fire victims.

KBS Hq. said that more than 6,000 persons have taken advantage of these sites where the Army is serving meals of C and K rations until the Korean Civil Assistance Command can bring in rice and other native Korean foods.

CARE headquarters in New York announced today that it had released $20,000 worth of food, blanket and clothing packages to aid fire victims.

According to reports from the CARE mission chief in Korea, the majority of more than 30,000 persons were without even the most primitive emergency shelter and were forced to camp on the bare ground with the meager possessions they had saved from CARE's warehouse in Pusan which escaped unscathed.

PSS-310

 

 

 


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