asked the Minister for External Affairs if he is in a position to say whether any further progress has been made in getting relief supplies into Nigeria and Biafra.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Nigeria-Biafra Relief Supplies.
6.
Since my reply to Dáil questions on this subject last July there has been a considerable improvement in the arrangements for the delivery and distribution of relief supplies for the benefit of the victims of famine and disease on both sides of the conflict in Nigeria.
In regard to the area under Federal control, the International Committee of the Red Cross, in accordance with the wishes of the Federal authorities, has been sending relief supplies through Lagos to the distressed districts in Enugu in the northern Ibo area, Oturkpo in Tiv, Agbor in the mid-western Ibo area, and Uyo and Calabar in the south-eastern Efikspeaking area. On average monthly distribution in these districts totals about 5,000 tons. In addition some 2,400 tons of relief supplies monthly are purchased locally out of Red Cross funds.
In regard to the area held by the secessionist forces, the International Committee of the Red Cross has to date sent in over 4,300 tons of relief supplies transported on nightly flights under hazardous conditions from Fernando Po. The capacity of this airlift is limited and, on account of this, the Red Cross has been concentrating on providing supplies for children and mothers in the area: the efforts of the Red Cross in this respect have met with considerable success. Recently, however, local foodstuffs are reported to have been growing progressively scarcer and the threat of more widespread famine has become serious. The International Committee is currently trying to make arrangements to bring in additional supplies.
At the beginning of this month, the International Committee of the Red Cross had 368 medical personnel and relief workers in Nigeria; of these 261 were working in the Federally-controlled area and 107 in the secessionist area. This number includes the Irish Red Cross medical team which is at present working in the Uyo district.
The International Committee of the Red Cross in its programme for Nigerian relief has been supported by the United Nations Childrens Fund which has donated considerable amounts of foodstuffs and medicines and given financial support.
Apart from the International Red Cross, there are, of course, many other humanitarian organisations which, with the assistance of generous donations from Ireland, have been making great efforts to help victims of the conflict. These include Caritas Internationalis, the World Council of Churches, OXFAM and the various Christian missionary bodies. Irish Missionaries and doctors are doing magnificent work under difficult and dangerous conditions in distributing supplies and in the care of the sick. I do not have accurate information regarding the relief supplies delivered by these organisations, but the total quantity must have been of very considerable help in reducing the ravages of famine and disease.
Would the Minister say if there has been any recent request for further help from this country?
The most recent that I heard was an application by the international Red Cross for funds to defray some of the expenses in connection with the delivery of these supplies. I understand that the Red Cross are giving a sum of money towards that.
Arising out of that reply, could the Minister clarify for the House whether the scarcity of food that presently afflicts these people is a matter of physical quantity of food or is it primarily a shortage of protein foods which is afflicting the area?
I think one of the greatest shortages was the shortage of money to buy or to keep the traditional markets going. That was one great shortage. Until recently there was plenty of carbohydrate foods. The most recent reports are that it is growing short. The protein food has been very scarce and hard to get over these last several months. That is one of the reasons why the Red Cross and the other relief organisations flying food into the Ibo-held territory particularly have been concentrating on flying in as much as possible of the protein foods and of medicines.
I can infer from the reply that, so far as the acute suffering of women and children in the Ibo-held area is concerned, it is primarily due to an insufficient supply of medicine and proteins, which gives rise to the typical tropical diseases that afflicts children and nursing mothers in that area?
That has been so up to now, but I am afraid the situation is deteriorating in regard to the supply of carbohydrate foods.