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.