N.Z. “Generous” With Aid To Biafra

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31831, 8 November 1968, Page 15

N.Z. “Generous” With Aid To Biafra

New Zealanders had contributed generously to the mercy work beirifc carried out in Biafra and were continuing to do so, the Rev. D. M. Taylor, general secretary of the National Council of Churches, said in Christchurch this week.

In a statement issued by the council, Mr Taylor said that visible progress was being made in the work, although the situation was still desperate. At the end of September the feeding centres run in Biafra by the World Council of Churches and the Roman Catholic Church were providing 395,000 meals a day he said. _ . „ Airlifts by the Red Cross and the International Church Relief Organisations constituted practically the sole source of supply for 3m to 4m Biafran refugees spread over 3000 square miles of territory. About one million refugees were living in refugee camps depending on the Red Cross, the World Council of Churches and Catholic relief organisations, assisted by missionaries. Between 2m and 3m refugees were still living in the bush, in the vicinity of villages or roads. The death rate among these refugees was not known, although the death rate among refugees inside

and outside Biafran camps was estimated at 45,000 weekly, Mr Taylor said. Cargoes taken into Biafran nightly by volunteers from Switzerland, Sweden and many other countries included high-protrin foods and medicines./ In the first half of October the Red Cross took 990 tons of supplies. By October 27, Roman Catholic and World Council of Churches flights had totalled 481 since the airlifts started, 180 having been since the beginning of October. Each flight carried about nine tons of supplies, Mr Taylor said.