Rongerik Report (1948)

The Bikinians, having resided for nearly two years on Rongerik Attoll, were discovered to be in an extreme state of impoverishnent, due to the exhaustion of local food resources, and to the failure of the former Civil Administrator at Kwajalein to assess the true nature of a situation which had been developing within the past year. There was no indication of negligence on the part of the native population for the existing state of affairs. Removal from Rongerik Atoll is recommended as soon as possible. (Already, the Bikinians have been temporarily removed to Kwajalein, and are being maintained on an emergency basis untilselection of a firal site is made. The present Civil Administration Kwajalein could not have acted mre quickly than they did, when a verbal report from me apprised them of the seriousness of the situation at Rongerik.) (Quoted from Introductory Summary of Findings and Recommendations)