3. - usaid

Yams
Palm O il
Groundnut s
Garri
Cereals (includinp: large quantities of hip&
protein CSM & enriched bulgur)
Beans
Milk
Dried Fish
Salt & Sugar
In addition to regular food distribution, ICRC established and maintained
stockpiles totaling about 30,000 tons of food, donated about one half by
the USG and the rest from other countries, at Port Harco~lrt, Calauar,
Enugu, Agbor/Asaba, Lagos, and Uyo. These stocks were rotated as current
distribution was made and new food delivered to the port at Lagos and transported
from there to the forward depots. The purpose of maintaining the
30,000 tons level stockpile was to keep up a steady flow and to be ready for
the expected large demands should the war end.
Recent reports have indicated that the civilians who were accessible to
estak lished relief centers were reasonably well-fed. Rut there remained
many people on both sides, deep in bush areas or moving because of the
shift in battle lines who could not be reached. Population dislocations,
breakdown of transportation and comnunicatim links, loss of health and
welfare services were particularly severe in arcas of military operations.
Although surveys in March and April 1969 indicated a diminishing need for
imported foodstuffs among stable populations in the Federal affected areas,
due in part to increased supply of locally pr~duced items, the intensified
military action in the spring of 1965, produced new dislocations of people.
By this time availability of emergency foodstuffs fmm foreipp sources
was not considered a nroblem. What bras needed was a qulck and effl-cient
method of identifying critical areas rn-d closer coordinatAon of rc! i ef
administration to facilitate a molle papid response to ch,uges.
In Federal territory as of the end of *Tune, ICFC reported 1,114 nationals
and 205 expatriates representing 17 nationalities working in the coordinated
relief program.
ICRC has established a budget for the period from March 1969 to August 1969,
in which the monthly expenditure for F'MG areas not includiqq donations in
kind was expected to be 8,500,000 Swiss francs (about $1,970,000).
Forty-three national Red Cross Societies and 19 internatlonal and voluntary
organizations have taken part in the ICRC relief operations, most of which
have made their contributions in cash, in supplies, or in personnel to
both sides.
ICRC has worked closely with the Nigerian Red Cross and believed that a
transition of relief operations should be pre-planned for eventual take-over
by the Nigerian Red Cross and the Nigerian Government. Initial steps had
been taken to bring this about, but realistically this should take several
months .
-57-