ICRC Delegates Research Articles

For the Benefit of the Indo-Pakistan Conflict Victims

It will be recalled that the ICRC delegates in India—Mr. R. Du Pasquier, head of the delegation, and Dr. R. Marti, ICRC head physician—visited wounded Pakistani prisoners of war in December 1971, and that they subsequently visited other wounded prisoners. The ICRC delegates started visiting the prisoners of war held in Indian camps—and, as we mentioned in last month's issue, there are a great many of them—early in February. They are now carrying on the job by visiting other camps. More than 30,000 Pakistani prisoners were visited by the delegates while still in the Dacca area.

An ICRC Delegate in Ceylon

Following the events in Ceylon, the International Committee of the Red Cross sent, from 27 April to 12 June 1971, its delegate, Mr. Roger Du Pasquier, who visited there hospitals and places of detention containing respectively the wounded and injured and persons under arrest.As already stated in our issues of June and July, Mr. Du Pasquier travelled all over the island, accompanied by government officials and members of the National Red Cross Society, and made distributions of relief to detainees. He brought back an interesting record of his mission, in the form of travel jottings, which we give below.

Burundi — Venezuela — Haiti — Ceylon — Japan — Laos — Khmer Republic — Republic of Vietnam — Near East

From 26 to 28 May 1971, the ICRC delegates for Eastern Africa, Mr. R. Weber and Mr. P. Gachoud, went to Burundi to visit five prisons there. They saw persons held for political reasons and offences and talked without witnesses with prisoners of their choice.The delegates, in co-operation with the Burundi Red Cross, distributed toilet requisites and note-paper. They also handed over to the National Society mats and medicaments to be distributed at a later date.

Burundi — Venezuela — Haiti — Ceylon — Japan — Laos — Khmer Republic — Republic of Vietnam — Near East

From 26 to 28 May 1971, the ICRC delegates for Eastern Africa, Mr. R. Weber and Mr. P. Gachoud, went to Burundi to visit five prisons there. They saw persons held for political reasons and offences and talked without witnesses with prisoners of their choice.The delegates, in co-operation with the Burundi Red Cross, distributed toilet requisites and note-paper. They also handed over to the National Society mats and medicaments to be distributed at a later date.

Near East – Yemen Arab Republic – Laos – Latin America – Mauritania

Exchange of prisoners of war.—On 31 January 1971, the 37 Saudi and 24 South Yemeni prisoners of war captured during border incidents in November 1969 were repatriated under the auspices of the ICRC.Two aircraft took the former prisoners, accompanied by ICRC delegates, from Riyadh and Aden to Cairo where the exchange took place.

Near East – Yemen Arab Republic – Democratic and Popular Republic of the Yemen – ICRC mission in South-East Asia – Republic of Vietnam – Khmer Republic – Laos – Democratic Republic of the Congo – Zambia – Latin America

Reuniting of families.—The ICRC delegates in the Near East arranged the reuniting of a number of families: two persons on 19 November and a further seven on 25 November joined their families in the occupied territory of the Golan Heights. At El Qantara on the Suez Canal an operation on a larger scale took place on 9 December when 90 Palestinians returned to the occupied territory of Gaza-Sinai and 183 other persons rejoined their families in the United Arab Republic.

The Civil War in Jordan: An Episode in the Life of an ICRC Delegate

We know what work is carried out by the ICRC delegates in Jordan ; we know that, thanks to them and their intervention, as soon as it was possible the relief mission of the ICRC, aided by the National Societies, could be started and developed. One of the delegates in Amman during the civil war, Mr. Louis Jaquinet, relates below some incidents in the danger-fraught life of a delegate during a crisis.

Middle East – Yemen Arab Republic – Republic of Vietnam – Cambodia – Laos – Hong Kong – Greece – Colombia – Ecuador

Visit to U.A.R. sailors.—On 5 September, Israeli naval craft picked up in the sea several men from the wrecked Greek vessel “ Maria Kristina ”. There were among them 14 sailors of Egyptian nationality. The ICRC delegation visited them on 7 September, and on 12 September they were released under ICRC auspices.

Middle East — Yemen Arab Republic — Republic of Vietnam — Greece — Venezuela — Bolivia and Honduras

Visits to prisoners of war.—From 24 to 30 August, ICRC delegates were granted authorization to see seven Israeli prisoners of war who had not yet been visited. Among them were two majors, three captains, one lieutenant and a sergeant, captured by Egyptian Armed Forces between 30 June and 18 July. Two of them had been wounded and were in a Cairo military hospital. The delegates of the ICRC also visited once again the five other Israeli prisoners of war whom they have been seeing regularly for several months.

Middle East – Republic of Vietnam – Cambodia – Central America – Brazil – Cameroun – Lesotho – Greece

The Mission of the Delegate General for the Middle East.— Mr. André Rochat, Delegate General of the ICRC for the Middle East, travelled to Israel on 15 April for a one-month stay.On his arrival in Tel-Aviv, the Delegate General, accompanied by Mr. F. Payot, in charge in Geneva of the Middle East theatre of operations, was welcomed by an official delegation including members of the Israeli Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence. Mr. Rochat, Mr. Payot and Mr. Moreillon, Head of the ICRC delegation in Israel, were then received by Mr. Zalman Shazar, the Head of State.

Middle East – Biafra – Malawi – Vietnam – Laos – Latin America – Arab Republic of the Yemen

United Arab Republic.—Towards the end of October two visits to Israeli prisoners of war were carried out in the United Arab Republic.The ICRC delegate in Cairo, Mr. Marcel Boisard, on 26 October, visited a wounded prisoner of war who was captured by the Egyptian armed forces in September 1969.

After the death of two ICRC Delegates

It will be recalled that on 30 September 1969, two delegates of the International Committee, Dr. Dragan Herčog, a member of the Yugoslav surgical team, and Robert Carlsson, member of a Swedish relief team, were killed during the fighting that was then raging around Okigwi, some miles north of Umuahia. At the same time and place, two persons working for the World Council of Churches were also killed and another member of the Swedish team wounded. Last November, the International Review published the circumstance of this drama which profoundly disturbed the Red Cross everywhere. It also mentioned that ICRC Commissioner-General, Mr. August Lindt, had protested strongly to the federal military government at Lagos. He demanded an enquiry and the punishment of those responsible. He further demanded the tightening up of orders to Nigerian front-line troops to ensure the safety of Red Cross personnel.

International Committee Delegates

Many are the delegates working in the field under the Red Cross flag in various parts of the world. Below is the list as at the end of February 1969. There are also many other voluntary workers dedicated to the Red Cross ideal. In Nigeria, for instance, in addition to the ICRC delegates, there are 268 of them; in the secessionist province (Biafra) 88; in Equatorial Guinea 11 and in Dahomey 26—all working side by side with many African colleagues.

Middle East – Mozambique – Vietnam – Austria and East Europe

Reuniting of families.—In the programme for the reuniting of families, organized and controlled by the ICRC delegations in Egypt and Israel, a further operation took place on November 14 at El Qantara.

ICRC Delegates Meeting

From September 17–21, 1968 more than thirty ICRC delegates and former delegates—some of whom had served the Red Cross during World War II—met at the International Committee's headquarters.

Hong Kong — Middle East — Yemen — Aden — Vietnam — Central America and Caribbean — Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic and Poland

The ICRC delegate in Hong Kong was given permission in April and May to visit two prisons which held persons convicted or interned as a result of the events in 1967. He was able to talk without witnesses with detainees of his own choosing. He subsequently made known his observations and recommendations to the authorities concerned.

Nigeria – Middle East – Yemen – Aden – Indonesia – Laos – Hungary

Relief to civilian population.—During an interview which he granted to ICRC delegate general for Africa Georg Hoffmann, towards the end of June, General Gowon, Nigerian Head of State, said that the Federal Military Government was prepared to give the ICRC facilities to deliver to Biafra large quantities of relief supplies for the half a million destitute refugees. The Federal Government insisted that the supplies must go through the blockade by road and stated that the Enugu and Calabar landing strips would be available to the ICRC for the transport of relief goods to the place where they would be allowed through the blockade. In addition, measures would be taken to protect the lorries. General Gowon added that action on such a scale should be approved by the Biafran authorities and given corresponding facilities by them.

Joint ICRC and League Appeal: Emergency Relief in Vietnam

On receipt of messages from the Delegates in Saigon of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the League of Red Cross Societies concerning the new needs of the civilian population in the Republic of Vietnam as a result of recent events, the ICRC and the League sent the following joint appeal to the National Societies on the 9th February, 1968:View new situation created by extension hostilities Vietnam ICRC and League appeal National SocietiesRepublic Vietnam Government request behalf 500,000 newly displaced persons whom 100,000 Saigon in order priority foodstuffs specially milk medicaments clothing. Vietnam Red Cross assisted by ICRC and League Delegates organising milk distribution to 100,000 displaced persons Saigon. Funds already sent enable commencement this first action in close liaison ICRC League Geneva and locally.

An Appeal by the International Committee—On behalf of victims of the conflict in Laos

According to the ICRC delegate on the spot working with the Lao Red Cross, a further 25,000 persons fled the fighting areas in the first fortnight of January, to make their way to the region of the Mekongvbasin. Most of them are now in the northern provinces of Houa-Khong, Luang-Prabang and Sayaboury. Many others have sought refuge to the South in the provinces of Savannakhet, Saravane, Attopeu and Sedone. Others again, less numerous, have reached Paksane and Thakek in the central provinces. It is estimated that 15 % of these refugees are men, 25 % women and 60 % children.

In memory of an ICRC delegate

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