The Ministry for Post-War Assistance was established by Lieutenancy Decree Number 380 of 21 June 1945 to provide moral and material assistance to Italian civilians and soldiers who were repatriated after being interned or taken prisoner during World War II; civilians displaced by bombing attacks during the war; civilians coming to Italy from former Italian colonies; refugees; partisans of the Italian resistance movement demobilized following the dissolution of their formations, and the families of partisans who either had died during the war or demobilized after it.
The Ministry for Post-War Assistance was abolished by Legislative Decree of the Provisional Head of State Number 27 of 14 February 1947.
It managed 109 refugee collection centres, built accommodations for assisted compatriots, provided basic necessities, and dealt with the reintegration of war veterans into the Italian economy, including offering them jobs in public administration.
In 1947 the ministry drew up a report that calculated the number of Italians still held in prison camps around the world at 1.45 million.
Until 1946, a separate branch of the ministry in Milan coordinated its activities in northern Italy.