Even unarmed, Dermot Doran was Biafra's greatest hero in the face of the Nigerian army's attack in 1968. The Irish priest mobilized the international community and created an airlift that brought tons of humanitarian aid to the Igbo, who were being massacred by government troops. Although the attack caused between 500,000 and 2 million civilian casualties, Doran's intervention saved just as many. Although it had not come to light until now, the 88-year-old reverend died in Dublin on May 29.
Dermot Doran, Priest Who Rallied Aid for #Biafran Airlift, Dies at 88.
In 1968, Father Doran, who had been in #Nigeria as an educator, became the linchpin of one of the largest civilian humanitarian efforts in history. News item provided by New York Times.
RIP sir , #Biafrans… pic.twitter.com/zNcpjxrwW5
— Chinasa Nworu (@ChinasaNworu) July 20, 2023
From humble missionary to testifying before the U.S. Senate
Father Doran was in southern Nigeria working as an educator and missionary when the southern part of Nigeria, where the Igbos were the majority, declared themselves independent as the Independent Republic of Biafra, tired of being victims of attacks by the Nigerian majority. The government's response was forceful, sending in the army to put down the rebellion, and the army did not mess around. As a result of their actions, an estimated 2 million people lost their lives. In addition to those killed by weapons, the troops surrounded the area, bringing more than 14 million people to the brink of starvation.
The nearly 1,000 missionaries in the region became aid workers to collect and channel humanitarian aid. The Irishman was one of the most active. Thanks to his tenacity, tireless work and conviction, he managed to establish an air bridge through which some 60,000 tons of humanitarian aid arrived, saving the lives of a very large number of people.
The architect of the largest humanitarian aid deployment of its time
Doran managed to evade the siege on numerous occasions, sneaking in and out of Biafra. It was he who found the first aircraft and hired the pilots. He managed to reach New York, from where he organized the first shipments of aid. He went on to testify before the U.S. Senate. He was also the architect of the logistics that made it possible to move thousands of tons of supplies from Europe and North America to Gabon and Sao Tome. His work was instrumental in what turned out to be the largest deployment of humanitarian aid at that time.
His work was not limited to management from afar. He personally traveled on many of the flights to Biafra and coordinated the distribution of supplies. He never lost contact with the local population, and in addition to attending to their needs, he would absorb information about what was going on so that he could share the situation with the world. He managed to reach journalists from relevant outlets, such as Harry Reasoner of CBS and BBC correspondent Frederick Forsyth, whose experience in Biafra was key to his career as a writer of political thriller novels.
