3. - usaid
3. - usaid 3. - usaid
Ambassador Ferguson in Biafra June 1969 hergency Food F'roduc t ion Biafra - June 1969 Based on reports received in June of 1969, the Land Army in Biafra is a success. The first crop of maize was ready the last week in May and was better in quantity and quality than normal. Indications were that it might be possible to have a second maize crop. Other factors improving the food situation were the food being brought into the enclave from adjacent areas by "bush traffic by head", the cassavas and yams which began to appear in the local markets, and a reinstitution of commercial transactions. Chickens brought in by airlift in April were thriving throughout the enclave. Still another factor was the capture of Owerri by BiafYa. There was a large food crop in the ground in Owerri that gave mediate help to those inside the enclave.
Health Treatment and 'Disease .Prevent ion 'in 'Biaf'ra Because of the reportedly high death rate and ill health among displaced persons early in 1968, the medical care and welfare of the people were accorded top priority by the Biafran Rehabilitation Commission. A meeting was held on March 28, 1968, attended by representatives of the Ministry of Health, Rehabilitation Conmission, voluntary agencies, and relief bodies. A sub-comnittee of the combined group was appointed to advise the Rehabilitation Connnission on medical matters. The Sub-committee effected the assigmnent of' one resident nurse to each camp. The Biafra National Red Cross assigned a team of voluntary workers to each camp, improving hygiene, organizing transportation of seriously sick remees to the nearest hospitals, and bringing drugs to the camps. Red Cross personnel also were effective in identifying children with kwashiorkor and bringing them and other needy persons to the nutritional clinics fcr attention. Medical work in the camps was supervised by a medical officer and a nursing or health sister for each zone. They held at least one clinic a week in each camp. Mobile medical clinics provided medical support at the feeding centers. Medical and health officials administered vitamin and iron tablets to those requiring them at the feeding centers and referred all serious cases of kwashiorkor to sickbays or hospitals. Facilities available for the treatment of BiafYan chlldren in hospitals had been reduced by war, and at the height of the kwashiorkor crisis, the need for makeshifi hospitals for the intensive treatment of the disease became imperative. The first kwashiorkor sickbays were set up by voluntary agency workers, and the Rehabilitation CorrPnission Medical Sub-Committee extended the idea to all provinces, stirmrlating local interest in their institution and suggesting one sickbay for every 15 refugee camps. They also laid down nominal requirements in staffing and equipment before establishing the sickbays, for example: 92 kwashiorkor sickbays had been established by December 1968, caring for 6,620 persons. In the camps, feeding centers, and sickbays, there were about 600 nurses, 60 nursing/health sisters, and 25 senior medical students. Their work was supervised by 40 doctors. Inoculation pr-ograms against smallpox were carried out in many of the Biafran camps early in the war, but vaccinations against measles, polio, pertussis, and tetanus were delayed. In January, 1969, inoculation programs for measles and smallpox for Biafran children were begun, with the joint participation of pediatricians of the University of Biaf'ra Medical School, Biaf'ran Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and ICRC (through which the U. S. Agency for International Development provided funds for the irmmization programs). Although there had been some outbreaks of measles, no major measles epidemics had occurred in Biaf'ra through December, 1968. By June 15, 726,851 had been vaccinated against measles and 1,826,Ul against smallpox. Comon diseases among the displaced persors included malaria, dysentery, infectious childhood diseases, tuberculosis, undermutrition, malnutrition, hookworm, worms, and othe~s.
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- Page 4 and 5: 4.5 million other vlctims. The case
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- Page 8 and 9: QUICK FACTS AND COMPAlusoNs Wer of
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- Page 20 and 21: MALAGASY EVENT: DATE-TIME: Cyclone
- Page 22 and 23: Overflow of Ikopa River on Tananari
- Page 24 and 25: for this nso gesture of wendship wh
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- Page 28 and 29: Estimated m et value of 15,000 metr
- Page 30 and 31: gatherings were prohibited until mi
- Page 32 and 33: MOROCCO CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DISA
- Page 34 and 35: established for the fire victims by
- Page 36 and 37: P. L. 480, Title 11, sorghum, value
- Page 38 and 39: Large amounts of publicity and pmpa
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- Page 42 and 43: oth sides. This was acknowledged by
- Page 44 and 45: The Resident Comnissioners were res
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- Page 50 and 51: Since the beginning of the program
- Page 52 and 53: Even though the end of the conflict
- Page 54 and 55: donated by them wNch in most instan
- Page 56 and 57: Ambassador Ferguson and his staff p
- Page 58 and 59: Soon there were ever increasing num
- Page 60 and 61: themselves to relief cargoes, but t
- Page 62 and 63: Stockpile at Santa Isabel received
- Page 64 and 65: with military vehicles and supplies
- Page 66 and 67: Medical Assistance Starting in Sept
- Page 68 and 69: In January 1968, UNICEF began emrge
- Page 70 and 71: CAFUTAS, INI'ERNATIONAL RELIEF' OPE
- Page 72 and 73: WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES RELIEF OP
- Page 74 and 75: JCA/USA C-97G at Sao Tome to the fo
- Page 76 and 77: By April 1, 1969, it was possible t
- Page 78 and 79: Ylssion Board of New York, CRS recm
- Page 80 and 81: In Biafra, CWS channeled its materi
- Page 82 and 83: International Rescue Comnlttee The
- Page 84 and 85: Abbot t Universal, Lt s . Ayerst La
- Page 86 and 87: This view is enshrined in the Chart
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- Page 90 and 91: United Kindom The United Kingdom ha
- Page 92 and 93: October 2, 1968 - Four rellef worke
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Ambassador Ferguson<br />
in Biafra June 1969<br />
hergency Food F'roduc t ion<br />
Biafra - June 1969<br />
Based on reports received in June of 1969, the Land Army in Biafra is a<br />
success. The first crop of maize was ready the last week in May and was<br />
better in quantity and quality than normal. Indications were that it<br />
might be possible to have a second maize crop.<br />
Other factors improving the food situation were the food being brought into<br />
the enclave from adjacent areas by "bush traffic by head", the cassavas and<br />
yams which began to appear in the local markets, and a reinstitution of<br />
commercial transactions. Chickens brought in by airlift in April were<br />
thriving throughout the enclave. Still another factor was the capture of<br />
Owerri by BiafYa. There was a large food crop in the ground in Owerri<br />
that gave mediate help to those inside the enclave.
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