Biafra Still Matters: Contested Humanitarian Airlift and American Foreign Policy

Abstract

This thesis is a historical analysis of the United States involvement in the Biafran Airlift. The Biafran Airlift is the second largest humanitarian airlift operation in history behind the Berlin Airlift. Participants flew over 5,300 sorties and delivered over 60,000 tons of humanitarian supplies to starving civilians in the breakaway state of Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War. Unlike the Berlin Airlift, civilian organizations conducted the operation. They did so despite violent military opposition from the Federal Military Government of Nigeria. The United States decided to remain neutral while later supporting the humanitarian operation. Such shades of gray foreshadowed many of the dilemmas the US faces today in the international security environment.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2016
Accession Number
AD1030452

Entities

People

  • David W Myrick

Organizations

  • School of Advanced Air and Space Studies

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Autonomy
  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Aircrafts
  • Civil Defense
  • Civil War
  • Geography
  • Interagency Coordination
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Law
  • International Organizations
  • International Relations
  • Military Science
  • National Politics
  • Personnel Management
  • Transport Aircraft
  • United States Transportation Command
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • International Relations and Conflict Resolution
  • Strategic Security Studies