NATIONAL BODY FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF RELIEF IN ITALY (E.N.D.S.I.). - It arose through the concordant impulse of the Italian Government, the Catholic Church in Italy and the Italian Red Cross; it was established by Decree-Law 28 Sept. 1944 no. 220, with the purpose of providing for the free distribution of relief - sent to Italy by foreign governments, bodies or private individuals or allocated by the Italian government - to the neediest categories of the Italian civilian population.
The E. is administered by a directing committee composed of 9 members, of whom three are designated by the presidency of the Council of Ministers, three by the Catholic Church in Italy and three by the Italian Red Cross.
The directing committee appoints an executive junta composed of three members, chosen one by the presidency of the Council, the other by the Catholic Church in Italy, the third by the Italian Red Cross. The provincial and municipal committees are constituted in the same way.
The relief came in large part from the United States of America which, through the two great organizations - "American Relief for Italy" and "War Relief Services" of the "National Catholic Welfare Conference" - and numerous other relief agencies, sent approx. 70% of the aforesaid relief, a large part of which was directed to the Holy Father, who generously assigned it to the E.N.D.S.I. for assistance to the needy Italian population. On the whole the relief received from the United States of America had, up to the end of 1949, reached 1,650,000 packages of clothing, food, medicines, etc. for approx. 72,000 tons.
The Catholic organizations of Ireland also contributed notably to the sending of aid, whose government arranged to channel to Italy approx. 74,000 packages (4,500 tons) of various kinds of relief goods. Another appreciable contribution in the sending of relief of various kinds was made by Switzerland through the organization of the "Swiss Gift", which, channeling the relief offered as a gift by various donor bodies, some of them Catholic, made possible the distribution of considerable quantities of clothing and footwear, household goods, medicines, food, etc. as well as of elements for huts and fixtures. Other nations, such as Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Norway, Peru, Sweden, Turkey, etc. through the establishment of autonomous committees, some of which represented by local Catholic figures, collected and sent to Italy relief in clothing and food.
The motor vehicles of the E.N.D.S.I. up to 31 Dec. 1949 carried out transport of goods for 20,590,497 quintal-km. and traveled km. 559,880 for the transport of children to summer camps.
Francesco Cantuti Castelvicco