The World Food Programme plans to begin distibuting food soon at the Protection of Civilians site in Malakal following food shortages at the UN-protected site caused by insecurity disrupting supply lines.

George Fominyen, spokesman for WFP in South Sudan, told Radio Tamazuj that repeated fighting for control over Malakal had interrupted the re-supply of WFP food stocks, forcing the organization to cut rations during the distribution in June. 

He explained, “We had to distribute reduced rations during our last distribution in June i.e. providing food for 15 days instead of 30 days to ensure that everyone in the PoC was served.”

Displaced people living at the protection site told Radio Tamazuj that the food distributed by relief agencies was not enough. “WFP give food but stew and other things are not there and sometimes food is not enough,” one source said.

The source said that residents of the UN camp were “running out of food items.”

Fominyen disclosed, however, that a barge convoy loaded with about 1,400 metric tonnes of food arrived Malakal from Bor last week, calling this “good news.”

The offloading of the barge started on 7 July 2015 and is ongoing. WFP says that it plans together with its partners to distribute food in the coming days.