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Drawing on rich archival sources from Europe, Nigeria and the United States, this book retraces the international responses to the Nigeria-Biafra war (1967-1970). It brings to life the organizations on the ground and the individuals who shaped their missions, while examining their often complex relations with governments.
From the dramatic images of starving children to the heated debates about the perverse effects of aid and the emergence of sans-frontiérisme, the Nigeria-Biafra war marked a turning point in the history of humanitarian aid. Colonial practices and representations were adapted to a postcolonial world, and humanitarian aid became a central element in the West’s relationship with Africa.
By revisiting the Biafra moment, this book sheds new light on the contradictions and enduring dilemmas of today’s humanitarian system.
Introduction
Part I : From an African civil war to the making of an international humanitarian crisis
1 The war and the question of genocide
2 A mediatic humanitarian crisis
3 Mobilising emotions
Part II : Responding to a humanitarian crisis
4 Breaking the blockade: The rise of non-governmental actors
5 On the ground : The missionary, colonial and military genealogies of humanitarian aid
6 Contesting the legitimacy of humanitarian aid
Part III : Revisiting controversies
7 Humanitarian aid : The lifeblood of war?
8 MSF versus the ICRC : The ingredients of a myth
9 Biafra and the birth of the “modern ICRC”?
Conclusion