ENG-1954 — Page 195

HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT, 1954

A member of official bodies and voluntary organiza- tions assisted in the emergency relief programme. The Hong Kong Branch of the British Red Cross Society helped to issue clothing and blankets, whilst relief com- mittees, in which local Kaifongs figured prominently, distributed donations from the public and other sources amounting to $2,651,801, and rice, kitchen utensils and other household necessities.

On 29th August, 1954, a typhoon struck the Colony, causing the collapse of a number of squatter huts in the Ngau Tau Kok area. The persons thus rendered homeless received relief until they were able to move into new accommodation.

Public Assistance

The rapid rise of local industry has helped to provide employment for Hong Kong's swollen popula- tion but there is still a great deal of poverty in the Colony, and this is particularly noticeable in the squatter areas. A number of religious organizations, some of which were formerly in China, now function in these areas, giving aid in the form of food, clothing or medical attention to families who are in circumstances of extreme hardship. Two of these organizations have also provided needy fire victims with between 300 and 400 huts, free or at part-cost.

Particularly active in this work of relief on a family basis is the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society which operates from four branches in the urban areas of the Colony. A good deal of its assistance is given in the form of loans or grants, to distressed families.

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