ENG-1964 — Page 165

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SOCIAL WELFARE

of families on relief at the end of the year was 2,234 as against 2,970 at the same time last year, a decrease of 25 per cent. A number of voluntary agencies, including the Co-operative for American Relief Everywhere, Catholic Relief Services, Church World Service, Lutheran World Service and the Seventh Day Adventist Welfare Service operate supplementary feeding schemes in which surplus American foodstuff in large quantity is converted into noodles or milk.

While the scale of public assistance fell, the demand for emergency relief rose to record heights during the year. As a result of five typhoons in quick succession 29,000 people were registered for relief food, clothing and accommodation. Further help for these unfortunate people came in donations to the Community Relief Trust Fund which totalled $3,287,983 of which $2,571,872 was distributed to typhoon victims. Fires, house collapses, landslides and floods brought suffering and hardship to another 9,300. During the same period there were 160 closure orders imposed against dangerous buildings, resulting in the occupants having to move out at short notice; they had in most cases to be found temporary accommodation by the Social Welfare Department.

Immediately after news of a disaster is received, an emergency relief team is despatched to the affected area to register the victims and within a few hours a hot meal is served and free feeding con- tinues twice a day for a maximum of a month; grants from the Community Relief Trust Fund are given in certain cases very soon after the disaster. During the year nearly 62,500 victims of natural disasters were registered and over 814,000 meals were provided. The co-operation of voluntary agencies remained invaluable in such times of emergency. The British Red Cross Society, Catholic Relief Services, CARE, Church World Service, the Kai Fong associations, Lutheran World Service and the Salvation Army are among the most active in providing cash grants, blankets, used clothing, food parcels and cooking utensils.

THE HANDICAPPED

As in public assistance and other welfare activities, so in providing for the handicapped more emphasis is being placed on individual training and rehabilitation rather than on mass relief and institution care. A new rehabilitation centre of the Social Welfare Department

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