Article

An imperative to act : boarding the relief flights of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Biafra (1967-1970)

Mie Vestergaard

• New political science, Vol. 40, no. 4, 2018, p. 675-690

English

This articles analyzes the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) humanitarian politics of intervention during its relief operation in the Nigeria-Biafra conflict (1967-170). The humanitarian response to the conflict was a foundational moment for everyday humanitarianism marking a shift from 'traditional' state-oriented humanitarianism to an expansion in scope, actors, and practices operating outside of the formal structures of the state. By examining recently declassified archival records, the author traces the ICRC's shifting categorization of victims in a changing humanitarian landscape. The article makes two main contributions: first, the author demonstrates empirically how the Nigeria-Biafra conflict challenged the ICRC's definition of humanitarian engagement and understandings of victimhood. Second, she argues that the ICRC has a clearer understanding than usually conveyed of how the Biafran leadership used the language of humanitarianism and victimhood to deploy an international response. Conclusively, she reflects on what the history of the ICRC in Biafra can teach scholars of contemporary humanitarianism

• More information is available for logged in users