3. - usaid

CAFUTAS, INI'ERNATIONAL RELIEF' OPERATIONS
In December of 1967, Caritas (CI) began an aid program to help war victims
on both sides of the NigeriaBiafra conflict.
Biafra
QI Marcy 27, 1968, CI initiated an international relief effort to airlift
food and medical supplies on a regular basis flvxn Europe to Biafra, in
cooperation with the World Council of Churches. It had previously participated
in special chartered flights. In June of 1968, Caritas established,
in cooperation with other organizatians, an airlift f'run the Portuguese
Island of Sao Tome, about 200 miles south of Biafra in the Gulf of Guinea.
Into this effort were joined Catholic, Protestant and Jewish organizations.
Occasional chartered flights f'run Europe directly to Biafra continued.
Bringing supplies to the area actually held by the Biafran authorities
was difficult, dangerous and expensive. When negotiations in Niamey and
Addis Ababa brought no results for a mercy corridor, CI enlarged the a i ~
lift operation f'run Sao Tame. In order to safeguard the distribution of
relief supplies exclusively to civilian war victims, German Caritas in
July of 1968 purchased two planes to be used only for these humanitarian
flights. The German Protestant relief agency, Makonisches Hilfswerk,
followed this example and purchased two additional planes.
During the month of August, Scandinavian church agencies united themselves
into a group called Nordchurchaid and joined the Caritas operations at
Sao Tome. At that time their activities were reported as two distinct
groups. Later they combined to form the Joint Church Aid, International.
(See colrments under Nordchurchaid and Joint Church Aid, International.)
By May of 1969 CI, in cooperation with Biafran authorities and Protestant
Relief Groups, was aiding in the feeding and care of 1.4 million persons
daily in 1,280 camps and 1,528 feeding centers.
Supplies coming into the Uli airstrip f h m Sao Tome were divided on
alternate flight nights for the Catholic and for the Protestant relief
operations. Early in 1969 reports showed that the Catholic group had 20
trucks which loaded material at the airfield and delivered it to Ihioma,
about 20 miles fmm Uli. From there smaller vehicles went out to four
sub-centers with the supplies. From these four locations, the supplies
were then delivered to the individual feeding centers. Practically no
reserve of relief supplies was kept at the sub-centers.
FMG Areas
Caritas, International supported the activities of the Social Welfare and
Medical Department of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, making substantial
contributions to victims in the Federally controlled dioceses
of Makurdi, Calabar, Ikot Expene, Lokoja, Benin, and Ogoja, since Christmas
of 1967. Through the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria at Lagos, direct