UN asks warring factions in Upper Nile, Jonglei to open safe passage for aid delivery

JUBA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday called on armed factions to allow humanitarian assistance to reach the needy people of the Upper Nile and Jonglei states.

The UN WFP made this call amidst renewed conflict which has displaced thousands of families and left an unknown number of civilians dead or injured in Upper Nile and Jonglei State

WFP depends on river transport to reach rural and remote communities during the rainy season when roads become inaccessible.

“The cost of inaction will be severe with the very real possibility of famine if we cannot access these communities immediately,” said Adeyinka Badejo, acting Country Director for WFP in South Sudan, in a statement issued on Friday.

Badejo said that humanitarian supplies have been prevented from reaching urgently needed beneficiaries.

“It is completely unacceptable that we have WFP convoys carrying food assistance that can save lives but are simply unable to get through,” Badejo said.

Badejo appealed to those parties involved in the conflict to allow humanitarian access into those areas so that all can benefit from international aid.

“All parties to the conflict need to respect international humanitarian law and allow safe passage of WFP and other humanitarian cargo. We are running out of time to prevent people from dying of hunger.”

Badejo disclosed the WFP has been forced to suspend its barge movement between Adok and Malakal due to the deteriorating security situation.

“Due to deterioration in the security situation along the White Nile, WFP has had to suspend its barge movement between Adok and Malakal as the waterways have become inaccessible, to the detriment of communities in the firing line,” he said.

Several attempts to negotiate access to reach communities facing an emergency and catastrophic levels of food insecurity have failed.

On 10 September, a WFP river convoy carrying 1,151 metric tons of food meant for communities in Fangak, Canal or Pigi, and Panyikang counties were forced to turn back after renewed clashes between conflicting parties.