3. - usaid

were suspended. Fkpeated attempts to get mtual agreement for other
methods of delivery to Biafra have not yet succeeded. Daylight flights to
Biafra were proposed as being more effective in bringing in relief supplies
and less hazardous than night flights. The FMG agreed to daylight flights
provided no arms flights occurred at the same time. Biafra would not agree
because of fear of FPE military action in conjunction with the relief
flights and contamination of the food. Biaf'ran proposals were for a water
corridor up the Niger River and an additional alrstrip built solely for
relief inside Biafra. The many restrictions, military and physical, placed
by both sides, rendered these proposals impractical.
In early November, 1968, after proposing that all relief flights to Biafra
be made to Uli by day, the FMG d ecmd that it would interdict night
flights into Biafra because the Uli airstrip was being used for delivery
of arms and amnunition as well as relief supplies.
There were periods of the when the FMG did little to prevent the night
relief flights into Biafra by ICRC and JCA from the off shore islands and
Dahmy. IXlring one of these periods beginning in April and through the
flrst two weeks in May of 1969, thep was a remarkable airlift performance
by ICRC and JCA. They averaged over 300 tons a night of food, medicines
and relief supplies and on one night the amount was 400 tons. For the
purpose of these flights, night for the pilots began before sundown and
continued until after sunrise.
Military action stepped up in the Sprinp of 1969. IBnuaNa, the Biafran
headquarters, fell to the FMG, while Cwerri was retaken by Biafra, becoming
its new headquarters. Following this there were further reports of harrassment
of relief flights by the Nigerian Air Force. In late May, 1969, air
raids were made by Biafra in FMG territory under the camand of a Swedish
pilot formerly connected with relief flights. The raids were performd
with very small planes and were effective.
Angered by these air raids, the FPE began
more and more to denounce ni@t airlifts
into Uli. Ch June 5-6, the Nigerian Air
Former Biafran Force shot down an ICRC relief plane,
killing all four crew members. Only a
few ICRC flights were made after this
incident, and in mid-June ICRC halted its
airlifts. ICRC initiated efforts to reach
an agreemnt on relief flights. JCA
continued to fly but the number of flights
was reduced.
Famine Relieved
Despite very difficult and dangerous
circumstances, ICRC and JCA delivered
sufficient protein-type foods to halt
stamration deaths and reduce mlnutrition
and disease to manageable proportions on