Speech #900210285

I have found that the Sicilian Regional and Italian Central Governments are doing a magnificent job to aid the disaster victims. But the deprivation. the destruction. and the urgent needs are so striking that the two Governments cannot be expected to return the region to a normal life in any reasonable period of time without extensive aid from other nations. The American people and their Government already have contributed almost $3.5 million to aid the refugees. In January. the International Ladies Garment Workers Union donated $50.000 to help the Sicilians. My investigation reveals. however. that as generous as this is. it is still not enough. There are four major areas of need: HOUSING Eighty thousand Sicilians now are homeless. Some are living in shacks fashioned out of paper. others in freight cars. and others in tents supplied by the Italian and United States Governments. Half of these refugees have houses which could be repaired. but are uninhabitable at this time. The remainder have absolutely nothing to return to. Five villages were completely devastated. The quakes. which struck January 14 through 16 and again January 25. ravaged 7 percent of four more villages and 50 percent of still another four villages. Although most of the refugees have been moved into tent cities where basic food and medical attention are being provided. the situation is not encouraging. First. many of the people can bathe only once every 2 or 3 weeks. In most of these tent cities. is a grave threat of epidemic. Second. refugees will soon be moving from tents to barracks. where families