How many Holocaust survivors are still alive? 245,000 in 90 countries, study shows

Nearly eight decades after the conclusion of World War II, approximately 245,000 Holocaust survivors are still alive, residing in over 90 countries, a study revealed on Tuesday. According to AFP, citing the Claims Conference, an organisation dedicated to securing reparations for Holocaust survivors, among them, 119,300 are in Israel, 38,400 in the United States, 21,900 in France, and 14,200 in Germany. “Nearly all of the current population of survivors were children at the time of Nazi persecution, having survived camps, ghettos, flight and living in hiding,” AFP quoted the report, underlining that children had the “slimmest chances of surviving”. With a median age of 86 now, they are “at a period of life where their need for care and services is growing,” Gideon Taylor, president of the Claims Conference, told AFP, adding that it was “time to double down on our attention to this waning population”. The report is the most comprehensive in recent years, drawing on “an unprecedented worldwide database of survivors”, the conference said. Established in 1951, the Claims Conference has played a pivotal role in advocating for compensation on behalf of Holocaust survivors. It was a key participant in the Luxembourg Agreement, wherein West Germany acknowledged responsibility for Nazi atrocities and made reparations. The signing of this agreement marked West Germany’s significant reintegration into the international community following World War II, during which six million Jews perished in the Holocaust. Over the years, Germany has disbursed more than $90 billion through negotiations with the Claims Conference, addressing the financial needs of survivors. Ongoing payments are provided to certain survivors, such as those who endured incarceration in concentration camps, while others who fled the Nazi regime receive one-time payouts. With inputs from agencies