Page 374 - The Viet-Cong Tet_Offensive_1968

Other consequenses of the Tet fighting were really sad.
Over 3,500 persons or sorrre 600 farnilies were rnade horneless, rnany
of thern penniless. These people were forrner residents of the areas of
Vuon Uorn, Xorrr Con, Dong Nai, Lu Gia, the railroad station, the
radio station and the arrny stockade. These areas were rnade a sharnbles
by the action of both friend and foe. The horneless were ternporarily
housed in public buildings such as governrnent offices, schools, pagodas
and churches - any structures that were spared by the fighting. These
public buildings were turned into refugee centers. There were seven of
thern. These were not enough to house all the unfortunate people. Many
people had to live under rnakeshift tents which were an assernbly of
arry rna.terial ranging frorn half-burned pieces o{ wood boards, iron
roofing,worn out ponchos given by soldiers or traded in the blackrnarket,
to anything that could possibly protect thern frorn sunshine. These rnake-
shift shelters rnade the courtyards of schools, churches and pagodas
Iook like stone-age tribal harnlets. It was generally a piti{ul sight, As a
rnatter o{ {acf, however, none of the re{ugees were starved or died of
starvation as food and other supplies were provided regularly. Epidernics
and deadly diseases were the threats hanging over the heads of the
people.

Each refugee family received frorn governrnent wel{are
agencies and private charities sornewhere between 500and 3,000 piastres
in cash relief plus other ernergency supplies, Vietnarnese and foreign
physicians rnade daily visits and provided rnedical care and rnedicine
to the sick and weak. Inforrnation workers regularly showed rnovies at
night and gave out reading rnaterials. In the meantirne the governrnent
distributed cenent and iron roo{ing to victirn farnilies to help therrr
rebuiid their hornes in areas where they had lived before.
Nearly 200 farnilies in the nursery area were given sirnilar
hetp to rebuild their houses. They had been squatters in this governrnent
owned area. Because they were the hardest-hit people in the city, the
loca1 governrnent finally decided to give a plot of land to each farnily. In
addition the governrnent gave cement, iron roofing and highly speciali-
zed services such as ground levelling and rubble clearing with bulldo-
zers. These people for the first tirne in their life, becarne owners of
their hornes and lands.Theae hornes were generally better than their
forrner hornes.These gifts freed thern frorn the fear of being forced to
rnove sornewhere else at sorne future date.
Victirns in other areas also benefited frorn this relie{.
This relief prograrn encouraged thern to cornplete reconstructi;n of