3. - usaid

cxl May 26, 1968, the
U. S. Ambassador
officially declared a
disaster in Nigeria and
authorized use of AID
contingency fluids for
disaster relief. Subsequently
money was
allocated to the
International Cormittee
of the Red Cross to
support its relief
operation budget. Many
other nations and organizations
also contributed
to the ICRC budget, but
the U. S. Govemnt was
by far the largest
Storage facility at Enugu - February 1969 contributor. While
most of the allocations
to ICRC were to support
general relief operations, some of its cash donations were specifically
labeled for the purchase of large quantities of stockfish (a Ngh protein
product especially acceptable to Nigerians) and for measles and vaccine
inoculations. ICRC used USG and other funds for a variety of relief
activities, including charter of air, water and road transport, purchase of
Ngh priority food items, trucks, equipment and medical supplies. Also,
cash was used to pay for personnel services and travel expenses of outside
professionals, and technicians and local enployees. Dates and amounts of
contributions to ICRC were: June 12, 1968 - $100,000; July 1968 - $1
million; November 1968 - $2.5 million; February 1969 - $620,000; March 1969 -
$6 million; April 1969 - $1 millicn; May 1969 - $5,450,000; June 1969 - $3
million. As of June 30, 1969, the USG had donated to ICRC relief operations
cash totaling $21,970,000.
AID/Washington also allotted money to the U. S. Mission in Lagos for purchase
of vehicles used in distribution of relief supplies; internal transport,
charter airlift fram Europe to Lagos; local purchase of drugs, medicaments,
other disaster supplies; for payment of transport cost of donated items;
procurement of cloth f'ran U. S. excess property and expenses of personnel
furnished by the American Red Cross and U. S. Public Health Service. Other
flu?& were allocated for use in AID/W on Nigerian operations.
Dates and munts of these cash allocations were: June 1968 - $100,000;
August 1968 - $250,000; October 1968 - $250,000; April 1969 - $19,600;
June 1969 - $579,400. These were for the emergency activities. In addition
USAID was allotted $3 million for a relief and rehabilitation program.
Total allotment USAID and AID/W - $4,199,000.
Early in the emergency relief program, the U. S. Mission reimbursed U. S.
voluntary agencies for transportation expenses of high priority supplies