The Nigeria–Biafra War and the Making of a Humanitarian Crisis (1967–70)

Marie-Luce Desgrandchamps (Autor)

Buch | Hardcover

352 Seiten

2026
Manchester University Press (Verlag)
9781526190246 (ISBN)

Noch nicht erschienen (ca. Juni 2026)
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Focusing on the Nigeria-Biafra war, this book analyses humanitarian action at a turning point in its history. It combines individual, institutional, and governmental perspectives to shows how this conflict became a testing ground where humanitarian practices were reshaped for the postcolonial era, making emergency aid central to the redefinition of Africa–West relations. -- .

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. -- .

Marie-Luce Desgrandchamps is a Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Geneva -- .

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 -- .

Erscheint lt. Verlag	16.6.2026
Reihe/Serie	Humanitarianism: Key Debates and New Approaches
Zusatzinfo	36 black & white illustrations, 13 tables
Verlagsort	Manchester
Sprache	englisch
Maße	156 x 234 mm
Themenwelt	Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte ► Regional- / Ländergeschichte
	Recht / Steuern ► EU / Internationales Recht
	Recht / Steuern ► Öffentliches Recht ► Völkerrecht
	Sozialwissenschaften ► Politik / Verwaltung
ISBN-13	9781526190246 / 9781526190246
Zustand	Neuware