S.O.S: How Ireland helped a nation

‘S.O.S: How Ireland helped a nation’ podcast is a series by Concern Worldwide. It documents the war in Biafra in 1967 and the events which led to Concern’s foundation fifty years ago. In the first episode we’re introduced to Biafra, the nation which declared it's independence from Nigeria in 1967. The war that followed this declaration led to mass starvation and a blockade surrounding the new nation kept this news hidden from the world. But a group of people in Ireland were determined to get the story out. We hear their story, and the story of a daring flight that paved the way for the international aid effort that would follow.

This episode introduces the story of two people in Ireland who mobilised a nation to help save lives of people in Biafra, sparking an inter-county rivalry and a huge outpouring of generosity. And we hear from an Irish reporter on his experiences behind the blockade. 

As the Joint Biafran Appeal is going from strength to strength in Ireland, a brave young teenager joins the aid effort and embarks on an unforgettable journey as Irish missionaries become humanitarian workers and logistical experts to get food and supplies past the blockade and distributed throughout Biafra.

Travelling to a remote part of northern Kenya, this special one-off programme features the incredible stories of three remarkable women confronted by the impossible realities of climate change. Atiir Katboi, Asekon Lopua and Ng’ikario Ejiru are all being pushed to the limits of their endurance by increasingly persistent drought.