With an Opinion About Relief: ARA in the South of Ukraine in 1921-1923

Abstract

The activity of one of the key international relief organizations in the Southern Ukrainian region – the American Relief Administration (ARA) is revealed. The beginning of cooperation between the ARA and the Soviet republics was the Riga Agreement on August 20, 1921. After its signing, the ARA formed its apparatus in Moscow and in the regions of the RSFSR and the Soviet republics in a very short time. On January 10, 1922, an agreement similar to the Riga Agreement was signed between the ARA Commissioner in the RSFSR W. Haskel and the Prime Minister of the Ukrainian SSR H. Rakovskyi in Moscow.

At the beginning of 1922, the entire territory of the Ukrainian SSR in need of assistance was divided into districts or branches. In the South of Ukraine 3 districts were created: Odesa, Mykolaiv and Yelisavethrad. The district was headed by a district supervisor. Each department had a branched structure, each department which dealt with a separate area of work. To coordinate the actions of the district branches of the ARA in April-May 1922, the ARA organized the «Ukrainian department of the ARA» in Odesa, headed by Colonel W. Grove. Thus, to provide assistance to the starving population, the ARA created a well-structured organization in the Ukrainian SSR.

The first task facing the ARA in the region was to feed children, deploying a network of canteens, and from June 1, 1922, the adult population. The first canteens appeared in the spring and summer of 1922: April 30 (Odesa), May 18 (Mykolaiv), May 27-28 (Kherson), the end of May (Yelisavethrad). By the end of the summer in the Mykolaiv and Odesa provinces 820 canteens where 192774 children and 1045 adults ate were opened. Children and adults of closed institutions (orphanages, hospitals, sanatoriums, student’s dining-room, etc.) also received dry rations and lunches. A total of 427,624 people received assistance.

Along with the positive statistics, there were some problems in the organization of the work of the ARA at the first stage of the formation of food outlets: theft, security of warehouses, conflicts between canteen employees and the American administration, management of ARA and soviet authorities, etc.

In addition to food, the ARA distributed food and material parcels, provided medical care (organization of medical centres, baths, supplies of medicines, treatment of diseases, disease prevention, distribution of medical literature, etc.).

From January 1, 1923, all organizational work on nutrition was transferred to the local authorities of the Posledgol, but at the expense of ARA products. The closure of the ARA began in the spring of 1923. The first to cease its activities was the medical department of the ARA on May 15, 1923, and on June 15 the issuance of parcels ceased. During June 20-25, regional offices in Southern Ukraine were liquidated. On July 15, 1923, the Ukrainian branch of the organization was liquidated, and on July 20, 1923, the mission’s central office in Moscow was closed.