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MoroccoA dispute having arisen between Morocco and Algeria over thedem arcation of their common frontier in the Sahara, there resulteda period of acute tension which, without degenerating into a generalconflict, nevertheless led to the outbreak of fighting along thefrontier. During the m onths which followed, the ICRC concerneditself w ith aiding prisoners of both sides.Thus in December, Mr. Jean-Jacques Muralti, delegate, went toMorocco and visited more than 300 Algerian m ilitary captured byMoroccan troops. He distributed relief parcels to them containingunderclothes, toilet articles, games and cigarettes to a value ofabout 9,000 Sw.frs. The prisoners were able to write to their familiesthrough the interm ediary of the ICRC which transm itted to theAlgerian Red Crescent messages the delegate had collected duringhis visits.On October 31, the crew of the cargo vessel " Hasiblal ”, flyingthe Moroccan flag, was halted and impounded in the port ofNemours in Algeria. The ICRC im m ediately approached theAlgerian Red Crescent in order to be in a position to communicatenews of these men to their families.EQUATORIAL AND SOUTHERN AFRICAGeneral delegation of the ICRC in Equatorial and Southern AfricaAt the beginning of the year, the ICRC decided to establish ageneral delegation in th a t area, whose sphere of activity wouldcomprise the Congo-Leopoldville (including Katanga), Rwanda,Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Zanzibar, Tanganyika, Angola, Mozam bique, Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Madagascar, theRepublic of South Africa (including S.W. Africa), Basutoland,Bechuanaland and Swaziland, Réunion, Mauritius, Archipelago ofComoro, and Seychelles. I t entrusted its direction to Mr. GeorgHoffmann who set up his headquarters in Salisbury (SouthernRhodesia) on Jan u ary 11.In broad outline, the object of Mr. Hoffmann’s mission was toestablish and m aintain direct contact with government authorities12

and the National Red Cross Societies of those different countrieswith a view to assisting in the dissemination of the Geneva Con ventions and, if necessary, to see to their application and to facili tate the eventual form ation and development of National Red CrossSocieties.The general delegate of the ICRC also found himself entrustedwith the task of carrying out, with the help of the regional delegates,all hum anitarian action in accordance with the principles of theRed Cross and especially th a t of protecting and assisting m ilitaryand civilian victims in arm ed conflicts or internal disturbances.CongoFresh troubles having broken out in K atanga in December 1962,Mr. G. C. Senn, regional delegate, went to Elisabethville in order toassure, in agreement with the U nited Nations forces, the action ofthe K atanga Red Cross and to avoid a repetition of the tragedywhich in the previous year had caused the death of G. Olivet,delegate of the ICRC, and of two associate members of the localRed Cross organization. Passes were issued to the ambulance driversand the necessary instructions given to the commanders of road blocks.On Jan u ary 3, Mr. Senn again approached the authorities res ponsible for the maintenance of order with a view to facilitating thereturn home of refugees who were on the roads leading to Rhodesia.The ICRC had in fact obtained the Rhodesian Red Cross’ contributionto the supplying of the civilian population on the Rhodesian frontier.Mr. Senn also attem pted to m aintain, as far as this was possible,co-operation between UN forces, the K atanga Red Cross and theSouthern Rhodesia branch of the British Red Cross, in order toassist and supply refugees in th at frontier area. Under the auspicesof the ICRC, convoys were able to ensure the return of refugees totheir homes.At the end of January, the general delegate of the ICRC obtainedpermission to visit in the prisons of Kolwezi and Kasapa, prisonerstaken by the K atanga forces during their withdrawal. He succeededin securing the release of 24 detainees, of whom 15 were m ilitaryand 9 civilians.13

In February, Mr. Hoffmann made contact with the Congoleseauthorities and the directors of the Red Cross, as a result of which,Mrs. J. Egger, regional delegate, received authorization to visitN ’Dolo prison, near the capital, in which notably several formermembers of the South Kasai Government were detained. On a visitto the same prison two m onths later, Mrs. Egger was able toobserve th a t, following her repeated representations, all K atangam ilitary and civilians, as well as two leading political personalitiesof South Kasai, had been released. She also secured the release ofsix European m ilitary personnel in the service of K atanga who hadbeen detained by UN forces.At the end of April, Mr. Senn visited the central prison of Luluabourg in which about 200 prisoners were in detention. He also sawthe prisons in the area and discovered the needs of the populationsstricken by the events.In Stanleyville, Mr. Senn visited the central prison and also th atof Kongo. On May 14, he secured the release of 102 K atanga gen darmes who had been incarcerated in the latte r prison.BurundiIn September, Mr. Senn went to Burundi in order to becomeacquainted with the general situation, and to visit detainees in thethree prisons of Usumbura, Kitega and Rumonge.He was everywhere given permission to talk without witnesseswith the prisoners and at the end of these visits, he intervened withthe authorities in order to improve the conditions of detention.AngolaDuring his tour in Angola from Ju ly 10 to 15, the general dele gate of the ICRC, Mr. Hoffmann, visited local branches of thePortuguese Red Cross at Luanda, Lobito and Mocamodès, Sa D a'Bandeira, Nova Lisboa, Carmona, Maquala da Zombo and Benguela.At Luso he paid a visit to the camp of former interned K atangam ilitary personnel, where his appearance was not of an officialcharacter. This tour enabled him to appreciate the activity beingdeployed by the Portuguese Red Cross, both in the training of14

first-aiders, as well as in aiding m ilitary wounded who receiveassistance from the “ Núcleo Auxiliar Féminine ”, a woman's,organization all of whose members are volunteers.South AfricaMr. Hoffmann has stayed in South Africa on five separateoccasions. He has established there most useful contacts with theSouth African Red Cross and Government and has obtained permis sion to visit certain persons detained by reason of the politicalsituation.He covered more than 36,000 miles by air, visiting not onlySouth Africa, Angola, Burundi and the Congo (Léopoldville), butalso Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Uganda, N orth ern Rhodesia, South-W est Africa, Swaziland, Réunion, Tanganyika,N yasaland and Bechuanaland. In the main centres of these lastmentioned countries, he visited Red Cross Committees which assistyoung m others and infants and distribute food relief to children.These committees are all m ulti-racial and the interest taken in themby the African members is manifest.In all the countries through which he passed, Mr. Hoffmannmade contact with the authorities and existing Red Cross Societies,or those in the process of formation. The meetings he had borechiefly on the dissemination of the Geneva Conventions, thedevelopment of the new National Red Cross Societies and the pos sibility of visiting persons detained as a result of events.2. NEAR AND MIDDLE EASTYemenAn action of far-reaching significance.—The previous ICRCAnnual Report mentioned the sending, at the end of the year, of amission to the Yemen on account of the conflict which had justbroken out in th a t country. This mission, consisting of Dr. JeanMaurice Rubli and Dr. Guido Piderm an went to Saudi Arabia andto the Im am El Badr, Chief of the Royalist forces in the Yemen.During 1963, the ICRC was to considerably intensify its actionboth in the Arab Republic of the Yemen, of which Sanaa is the15

capital, as well as in the N orth of the country controlled by theRoyalist forces. I t set on foot im portant relief actions on behalf ofthe victims of th a t conflict.This intervention on the p art of the ICRC in the Arab Peninsulais indeed an im portant landm ark. In fact, until then, Saudi Arabiaand the Yemen were amongst the very few countries of the worldin which neither the Red Cross nor the Geneva Conventions hadever penetrated. Now one Red Crescent Society is being formed inthe Yemen and, as a result of ICRC missions, both President Sallaland the Im am El Badr have declared their willingness to respectthe principles of the Conventions.In this connection it can be seen th a t considerable progress hasalso been made in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi authorities in factencouraged the formation of a National Red Crescent Society inthe Kingdom, which was officially recognized by the ICRC onAugust 8, 1963. Saudi Arabia acceded to the Geneva Conventionson May 18, 1963.Missions to both sides.—During their enquiry in N orth Yemen,Dr. Rubli and Dr. Piderm an reached the Im am El-B adr’s GHQ,where they received a warm welcome and were assured th at thetroops would receive orders to apply the m ain provisions of theGeneva Conventions concerning treatm ent of the wounded andprisoners of war. The delegates’ investigations confirmed theblackest impressions as to the distress of war victims and the totalabsence of medical care in the areas held by the Royalist forces.As there was not even a nurse a t the Im am ’s H eadquarters,they immediately tended m any of the wounded and sick andoperated on some of them. During an air raid, Dr. Piderm an him self was slightly wounded, but after a quick dressing he was ableto tu rn his attention to others who were more seriously injured.The two doctors had scarcely returned to Geneva when anotherICRC mission set out for the Yemen, b ut this tim e on the Repub lican side. They found an equally enthusiastic and friendly welcomeawaiting them at Sanaa, capital of the Yemen Arab Republic.The President, Mr. Abdallah Sallal, received Mr. Roger DuPasquier and Mr. Joseph Gasser, the representatives of the ICRC,and pledged himself in writing to assure respect of the main rules16

laid down in the Geneva Conventions. He moreover agreed, inprinciple, to forward lists of prisoners made by the troops to Geneva.D uring their investigation into medical requirem ents, the ICRCdelegates visited the hospital of Sanaa, where there were somepolitical detainees undergoing treatm ent, in particular a formerMinister of the Royal Government.Representations on behalf of prisoners.—By the end of January1963, three m onths or so after the outbreak of hostilities in thisremote country, the ICRC had obtained a formal promise from theHigh Commands of both armies th a t the m ain provisions of theGeneva Conventions would be respected. I t remained to be seenhow these promises could be carried out in practice. Curiouslyenough, it soon appeared th at, despite their prim eval customs, thehum anitarian ideal often corresponded to a certain chivalry whichhad survived among the Yemeni.Nevertheless, a t times this hum anitarian ideal encounteredresistance. Some tribes showed little desire to respect their prisoners'lives. They considered it honourable to use their swords against the“ cowards ” who had let themselves be captured. A t this juncture,the Im am , convinced by the ICRC’s arguments, ordered them todeliver all captured enemies to him immediately—and alive. As anencouragement he offered a reward for every prisoner brought toGHQ alive.Other positive results were obtained through the ICRC dele gates’ negotiations. At the beginning of May 1963, 23 Egyptiansoldiers captured in the Yemen and interned in Saudi A rabia werefreed and repatriated, an ICRC delegate escorting them to Cairo.Further releases were to follow these a t the beginning of 1964.The ICRC delegate in Sanaa also assisted prisoners and interneesheld by the Republicans. While it was difficult to secure lists ofthese captives, at least authorisation was received to visit membersof the Im am ’s family and household, who were interned in thecapital. Similar visits were also made in Cairo, where, a t thebeginning of Ju ly 1963, two ICRC representatives were able tocontact members of the Yemeni former Royal family interned invillas. The UAR authorities later freed 24 of them, authorising themto leave for Saudi Arabia.17

These efforts on behalf of prisoners and internees have con tinued w ithout interruption on both sides and gained increasingsupport and understanding of both Republican and Royalistauthorities.Visits to E gyptian prisoners in often inaccessible regions some times proved daring expeditions ; they were however of greathum anitarian significance not only for the captives themselves butfor their families. Some of the grateful letters received by the ICRCare very moving and prove w hat consolation this activity brings toanguished families.Medical assistance on the Republican side.—The ICRC’s prelim inary missions had already revealed the total absence of health ser vices and medical staff throughout Royalist Yemen. While prepar ing to meet this situation, it had also taken stock of conditions onthe Republican side. Here its delegates had observed several goodhospitals, a t Sanaa and in other towns, which could accommodateand care for the wounded and sick. In addition, the Egyptian arm ypossessed a well-trained and equipped medical corps.While in Sanaa, the first mission to the Republican camp wasinformed of the shortage of medical supplies and m aterial for thesehospitals. A list of the articles urgently needed was handed to itby the Yemeni Minister of Health.In February 1963, the ICRC accordingly launched an appealfrom Geneva to several National Societies for the necessary relief.Their response perm itted the forwarding of large quantities ofmedicines and dressings to Sanaa, via Aden, which relieved thesituation both in the hospitals and the medical posts close to thefighting lines. Most of the supplies were distributed by Dr. JiirgBaer, medical delegate, and Mr. Joseph Gasser, delegate. By thesummer of 1963, the Yemeni Arab Republic had received gifts ofmedicines through the ICRC to the value of Sw.frs. 125,000.The beginnings of the Red Crescent at Sanaa.—During theirinitial hasty measures of reform, the leaders of the Yemeni Republicalso turned their attention to the health question. A Governmentdecree was issued instructing several competent personalities toorganize a National Red Crescent Society.18

W hen the ICRC delegation at Sanaa visited the Yemeni RedCrescent in its provisional quarters, it imm ediately saw th a t theleaders were eager to learn and equip themselves in order tomake their Society’s work more effective.The pitiful distress of the Royalist wounded.—From the beginningof the conflict, the ICRC delegates on the Royalist side had reportedthe disastrous medical situation in the ranks of the Im am 's forces.Almost all the men wounded during hard fighting in the heart ofthe m ountains died for lack of care. The growing vicissitudes of thewar made the situation constantly worse. The doctors sent fromGeneva, in particular Dr. Bruno Beretta, did their utm ost underprecarious conditions, and had to travel long distances on foot fromone site of b attle to another. They operated on the wounded in caveslighted with oil lamps or in the open air, and were overwhelmedwith work. In addition to the wounded in the lines, civilians pouredin from all sides to receive care. The Yemeni attributed unlim itedskill to the doctors. Transistors were even brought to them forrepair with the idea th a t electro-mechanics were a branch ofmedicine.In the summer of 1963, the ICRC felt it should m ake anothermedical survey. Accordingly, Dr. Jean Maurice Rubli, medical dele gate, was once more sent there in August, laden with severalthousand francs worth of medicines and medical equipment. Hisreports only confirmed the distress of the fallen com batants left tolie on the battlefield, not unlike those Henry D unant had witnessedat Solferino.The observations of two Swiss doctors.—Shortly afterwards, anew team of medical delegates, Drs. Edwin Spirgi and AnthonyWild, lent to the ICRC by the Swiss Red Cross, left for RoyalistYemen, where they made a very adventurous tour, which led todecisive conclusions. They travelled across the high plateau close tothe Saudi Arabian frontier, in sweltering heat and drought, andpenetrated into the interior of the country. Below are extracts froma Report sent to the ICRC a t the beginning of the autum n in 1963(starting where the two doctors had halted at a Royalist camp atthe beginning of their journey) :19

“ We gave a long drawn-out consultation, during which we treatedover 40 wounded and sick. Malaria is rife. Chronic dysentery andascaridiosis are also prevalent. There is malnutrition so far as caloriesare concerned. Food is composed of rice, dried mutton (very unappetis ing), a few vegetables and canned food, chiefly tunny fish.The following day we treated about 30 men. This involved theextraction of several badly decayed teeth for some of them. Theythanked us with a loud “ Hurrah ! ”Just before sundown we left the camp and struck out west, in asmall truck riddled with bullets, which drove us into the night.En route we found two badly wounded men in a cave. For fivedays they had been lying waiting for care on sheepskins stained withblood and pus, one half unconscious. There was practically no waterand needless to say no soap in this stenching hole. We administeredChloromycetin and arranged for their evacuation. In the Kharir oasiswe received a score of patients, some of them children, a little girl of 10with acute pneumonia, and a boy of 12 who was dying. We could onlytreat the latter symptomatically and ask for his evacuation to Najranand Djeddah.There is a crying need for a modem field hospital fully equippedfor diagnosis and therapy. This is becoming an obsession to us. We havein mind TB of the lungs, which spreads so quickly among the women,who are obliged to work like slaves, and the underfed children.Two days later we left the oasis astride donkeys. Mothers brought ustheir sick children as we travelled. All we could do was to distribute afew antibiotics, or ointment for those with trachoma.After 5 hours we reached a prisoner of war camp and cared forthe inmates. Then another consultation : 20 patients whom we treatedfor malaria, pneumonia, an open fracture of a finger, etc., a combatantwounded in the thorax by a sword. We distributed antibiotics anddressings ”.The following day, after crossing a 10,000 foot m ountain pass,the two doctors made a new halt. Their report continues:Our patients were waiting for us. They all wanted to come intoour tent at the same time. One man had a mutilated hand, anotherthe abdomen covered with scarifications. After having tended 40 caseswe took advantage of another bullet-riddled vehicle to continue ourjourney. On the way we again encountered two badly wounded men,who had been previously treated. They had stopped on the edge of a“ Wadi ” surrounded by their comrades. One of them died. They hadbeen carried for 10 hours.At night we journeyed through the desert towards the front. Wesaw places which had been bombarded. An officer authorised us to visit20

prisoners interned for the last five months. They sleep on the barerock in a cave, with their guards. Here again we distributed capturecards.We installed ourselves in a cave to receive the

at the Federal Poly technical School (1961) HANS MEULI, Doctor of Medicine, Brigade Colonel, former Director of the Swiss Army Medical Service (1961) MARJORIE DUVILLARD, Directress of « Le Bon Secours » Nursing School (1961) MAX PETITPIERRE, Doctor of Laws, former President of the Swiss Confederation (1961) Honorary Members :