In 1947 the ongoing Greek Civil War had caused calamitous losses in rural areas, where the army was unable to control the movement of communist guerrilla fighters. Half a million people had already abandoned their homes in the mountains to become residents of temporary refugee camps in large urban areas. Almost half of these people were children. This mass movement was officially attributed to the fear of the communists, but many people were forcefully relocated by the authorities to deprive the rebels of local support networks. The needs of these people were great, so in the summer of 1947 Queen Frederica organized a national fundraiser to create a network of child cities.