Long-term malnutrition meant that many teenagers were too small for their age and had problems with their teeth and eyesight. As a result of inadequate hygiene, young people suffered from psoriasis and other skin diseases. The children and adolescents were regularly examined by a doctor and nurse, given necessary treatment and referred to specialists and clinics. They were also vaccinated for smallpox, typhoid and diphtheria. Despite an extensive vaccination programme, the team failed to prevent a diphtheria epidemic, during which two toddlers died.
The older children were very slow to remember what smiles and trust were.
Greta Fischer, UNRRA
1. Vaccination, United Nations Archives and Records Center, New York
UNRRA doctor Dr Gaston Gérard and nurses vaccinate children against infectious diseases.
2. Weighing of children, US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC.
Sofia and Janusz Karpuk, who lost their parents, being weighed during a medical examination.
3. Dental care, United Nations Archives and Records Center, New York
Jewish dentist and Dachau concentration camp survivor Dr Josef Unger provided dental care.