Office of the Historian

395. Telegram 26863 From the Department of State to the Mission to the United Nations1 2

Washington, February 15, 1972, 2356Z

SUBJECT:

  • Policy Guidance for SVG Meeting on Bangladesh Relief

REF:

  • (a) USUN 539; (b) USUN 508; (c) USUN 501
1.
We understand that at February 16 meeting SYG is expected to announce appeal by United Nations for immediate relief aid to Bangladesh of magnitude over $600 million, of which 90 percent food imports.
2.
If opportunity arises suggest you speak along following lines: (1) We are pleased to note what is obviously a comprehensive assessment of humanitarian needs of people of Bangladesh and (2) we welcome the role of the United Nations as a coordinator of humanitarian relief activities. You should also draw on language of President’s report to Congress on U.S. [Page 2] Foreign Policy in 1970’s in which he notes that QTE Our relief effort in East Bengal will continue. The authorities face the grim challenge of creating a viable political structure and economy in one of the most impoverished—and now newly devastated—areas of the world. We have never been hostile to Bengali aspirations. Our aid program in the 1960’s increasingly concentrated on development in East Bengal. We provided two-thirds of the world’s emergency aid to the province in 1971. We would expect other nations to bear a proportionate share of that responsibility in the future, but as the United States strengthens new relationships in Asia, we have no intention of ignoring these 70 million people. ENDQTE
3.
You may also state that we will be able to indicate our initial response to the UN appeal after we have had an opportunity to study the UN assessment. We hope and expect other governments will respond generously [Page 3] to this international effort to alleviate humanitarian suffering.
4.
FYI. We prefer to defer for the moment any announcement regarding form and content of our initial support of UN relief effort.

END

  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, SOC 10 BANGLA DESH. Limited Official Use; Immediate. Drafted by Francis H. Thomas (NEA/PAF); cleared in NEA by Laingen, and Schneider, M. Kathleen Bell (IO/UNP), Frank Wiesner (S/R); and approved by Van Hollen. Repeated to Islamabad, Dacca, and New Delhi. The policy guidance conditioned USUN’s response to Waldheim’s appeal. (Telegram 617 from USUN, February 18; ibid.)↩
  2. The Department provided policy guidance for the Mission for a meeting called by the Secretary-General on relief for Bangladesh.↩