Germany to Give $662 Million to Holocaust Survivors Struggling during Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic aid comes on top of an emergency $4.3 million the Claims Conference distributed in the spring to agencies providing care for survivors.

In addition to the coronavirus-related funds, Germany agreed in the recently concluded round of annual negotiations to increase funding for social welfare services for survivors by €30.5 million ($36 million), to a total of €554.5 million ($651 million) for 2021, the Claims Conference said.

Read also: More Indonesian SMEs Poised to Gain Access to Social Assistance Programs

Germany’s foreign ministry had no immediate comment on the latest round of negotiations.

The money is used for services including funding in-home care for more than 83,000 Holocaust survivors and assisting more than 70,000 with other vital services, including food, medicine, transportation to doctors and programs to alleviate social isolation.

As a result of negotiations with the Claims Conference since 1952, the German government has paid more than $80 billion in Holocaust reparations.

Part of the Claims Conference's annual negotiations also includes working with Germany to expand the number of people eligible for compensation.

This year, the German government agreed to recognize 27 “open ghettos” in Bulgaria and Romania, enabling survivors who were in those places to receive compensation payments. 

(Writer: David Rising) 

Source: https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-international-news-western-europe-germany-europe-fe70a989c90101e79ff8ee4d9abcf7b0