Immediate Help Urged For Starving Biafrans

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31729, 12 July 1968, Page 11

Immediate Help Urged For Starving Biafrans

(N Z.P.A. -Reuter—Copyright) GENEVA, July 11. By the end of this month the number of persons dying of starvation in Biafra seems likely to rise to 1000 a day, according to Mr Pierre Tacier, an International Red Cross official in Geneva.

“There must be immediate action to bring food and medical supplies to Biafran refugees to prevent the toll from increasing even further,” Mr Tacier said. A mercy ship sailed from a Scottish port yesterday for Nigeria with 400 tons of food and medical supplies aboard. The aid shipment, collected by the Save the Children Fund, included trucks and utility vehicles for the transport of the supplies to the famine-hit areas.

Another ship was being loaded at Dover today with 20 trucks and five utility vehicles provided by the British Government, for departure tomorrow.

There are contingency plans for Royal Air Force Hercules transport aircraft to fly more relief supplies to Nigeria when Government clearance is received. Nigerian Offer

Meanwhile, diplomatic pressures are mounting on the breakaway Biafran leader (Colonel Adumegwu Ojukwu) to accept the Federal Nigerian Government's offer to open overland “mercy corridors” through Federal-held territory into Biafra. Colonel Ojukwu has so far insisted on direct flights into Biafra. claiming that food

supplies passing through Nigeria might be poisoned.

Today the United Nations Secretary-General (U Thant) appealed to the Biafrans to take advantage of the Nigerian offer.

Informed sources in London believe that some of the African governments, such as Tanzania’s, which have formally recognised secessionist Biafra’s proclaimed independence, might also be prepared to urge Colonel Ojukwu to reconsider his rejection of the offer.

International relief agencies have estimated that Biafra needs 200 tons of food aid each day. An emergency medical nursing team from the Save The Children Fund has flown to Nigeria to tend stricken children on both sides of the fighting zones.

The team carried with them £2OOO worth of high-protein food and medical supplies, and camping equipment to enable them to work in the bush areas of the war zone.

The team, led by Dr Noel Moynihan, who was recently created a Papal Knight by Pope Paul, will operate under the direction of the International Red Cross. In Lagos it was announced today that the Federal Government had earmarked £lm for emergency relief and the rehabilitation of victims of the civil war.

The announcement said the fund would be disbursed by a newly-established National Rehabilitation Commission, which would co-ordinate the activities of all voluntary agencies engaged in emergency relief operations and rehabilitation work.