I reported to the Senate on the rising number of war victims in South Vietnam. and discussed the growing concern in many quarters over the impact of our shelling and bombing on the civilian population of North Vietnam. I wish to comment briefly on these issues again. today. especially in reporting to Senators the latest compilation of statistics on war victims in South Vietnam. On June 29. as chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Refugees. I reported that the flow of new refugees and civilian casualties was continuing at an alarming rate in South Vietnam. By official count. the numbers of new refugees. in governmentheld territory since April 1. stood at some 814.000and the number was Increasing at a rate of nearly 3.000 per day. Unofficial estimates put the number of new refugees at well over 1.000.000. . Based on known hospital admissions. official estimates for civilian casualties put the number at nearly 8.700 for April . and nearly 5.900 for Mayfor a total of some 14.600. A June 10 cable from Ambassador Bunker to the Department of State emphasized. however. that these figures were incomplete. for they did not include hospital admissions in areas such as Quang Tri and Kontum where heavy fighting was underway.
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Refugees refugees