On this day in 1969 RTÉ News reports on Irish aid for famine relief in Biafra.
A consignment of aid for Biafra is loaded into the hold of the ship 'Colmcille' from the quays in Limerick destined for Biafra. This clip also shows two young men holding a fundraising fast on a Limerick street in aid of famine relief in Biafra.
After two-and-a-half years of war with Nigeria between 1967 and 1970 Biafran forces agreed to a ceasefire with the Nigerian Federal Military Government (FMG), and Biafra was reintegrated into Nigeria. A million people had died in fighting and from famine in this period.
In May 1969 ‘Radharc’ also broadcast an episode ‘Night Flight to Uli’ which looks at the activities of aid agencies in Biafra where human suffering continues to deteriorate. This special documentary shows the work of Irish missionaries in Biafra and how food supplies from Ireland are helping to alleviate the distress in this famine-stricken and war-torn region.