In less than a year, Nigerian government forces encircled Biafra and took control of Port Harcourt and coastal oil facilities. Mass starvation of Biafran population resulted from the intentional policy of imposing a blockade during the ensuing impasse. A total of 100,000 soldiers were killed over the two and a half years of the conflict, and between 500,000 and almost 2 million Biafran civilians perished from malnutrition. The Nigerian Civil War was one of the first conflicts in history to be broadcast on television to a worldwide audience, along with the Vietnam War. Images of famished and sickly Biafran children dominated Western nations’ mass media in the middle of 1968.
International non-governmental organizations (NGOs) saw a sharp increase in cash and recognition as a result of the starving Biafrans’ predicament becoming a cause célèbre abroad. The Biafran airlift, which brought international humanitarian aid to Biafra from civilians, served as the impetus for the establishment of Doctors Without Borders after the war. France, Israel (after 1968), and a few other nations backed Biafra, whereas the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union were the primary backers of the Nigerian government. Although the US officially maintained its neutral stance, viewing Nigeria as “a responsibility of Britain,” some people believe that the US is favoring the Nigerian government by refusing to recognize Biafra.
The conflict brought to light issues with pan-Africanism in the early years of African independence from colonial control, implying that the diversity of the African people could be a barrier to reaching a shared unity. It also raised awareness of the Organization of African Unity’s early flaws.Since Nigeria hasn’t had an Igbo president since the war’s conclusion, the Igbo people have also been politically marginalized as a result of the conflict.
