Bread and Borders: the Mediterranean's Food Crisis and Unrra's Response during and after the Second World War

This paper explores the role of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) in addressing the food crises and humanitarian challenges in the Mediterranean region during and after the Second World War. It examines how wartime practices and logistical models, developed in different regions of the conflict, influenced the post-war reconstruction efforts in the Mediterranean, focusing particularly on how the careers and professional trajectories of UNRRA agents shaped their response to food insecurity and reconstruction needs in the region. The research is part of the project International Circulation of Technicians: A Prosopographical Study of Agents and Scientists within UNRRA, FAO, and UNESCO (1943–1960), funded by a Marie Curie Global Fellowship. A central aspect of this paper is its prosopographical approach, which traces the careers of individuals involved in UNRRA’s Mediterranean relief efforts. By mapping these career trajectories, the study reveals how the prior experiences of these agents—gained in diverse settings before and during the war—directly shaped the development and implementation of post-war reconstruction programs. Many of these agents honed key professional skills and networks before the war, particularly during the New Deal era in the United States under President Roosevelt’s administration. Their involvement in social welfare programs, infrastructure projects, and logistical operations during this period equipped them with invaluable experience in managing large-scale humanitarian efforts. When they transitioned to roles within UNRRA, they brought not only technical expertise but also established relationships with both international and local actors. This prior experience allowed them to integrate wartime logistical practices into post-war relief operations effectively, ensuring a coordinated and efficient response to the Mediterranean’s immediate and long- term needs. This study contributes to the broader goal of reassessing the Mediterranean’s historical significance during the extended Second World War. By focusing on the transition from wartime to post-war, the paper demonstrates how food policies and humanitarian assistance programs operated not only as immediate responses to crisis but also as integral components of the longer-term process of rebuilding and stabilizing war-torn societies. The Mediterranean’s role in the broader global context of the war is also considered, as the region served both as a battleground and a place where new approaches to cooperation and reconstruction were tested and refined. In conclusion, this paper analyzes how food relief and humanitarian efforts in the Mediterranean were shaped by wartime experiences and the flow of expertise and practices developed across different regions. By examining the strategies employed to address food crises both during and after the conflict, it offers new insights into how food policies were used to manage immediate humanitarian needs while simultaneously contributing to the longer-term reconstruction of political and social stability in the Mediterranean region.