Internally displaced people sheltering at a church compound in Wau town are urging the World Food Program not to proceed with plans to reduce their food ration.

Some of them who spoke to Eye Radio say they were informed that the ration and supplies will be reduced by 50 percent because of their increasing number. They instead say WFP should increase food supply to cater for the new arrivals instead of reducing their ration.

“They should add to the ration that is already there. What we want is that 10,000 of us who were here should get the ration. But what they are saying that they will reduce the ratio, is not right,” said one the IDPs.

“Like a humanitarian organization, we know what they are providing for us is assistance. And the fact that it is assistance, it should not bring difference between people, and it should not be assistance that makes someone feel vulnerable,” said another.

In response, the spokesperson of the World Food Program, George Forminyen, says the reason for reducing the food ration is to enable the agency provide assistance to the new arrivals.

He said the current available supplies was meant for 10,400 people who were already living at the church compound before recent violence in Wau and the surrounding areas.

“We are talking about 18,000 people. And therefore in order to better manage the resources which have been placed at the moment in Wau, we determined that it was to be able to serve everybody and therefore serve them with a reduced ration rather than giving a full ration and not being able to serve everybody,” said Mr. Forminyen.

Mr. Forminyen said the number of IDPs at the church compound has increased from 10,000 to 18,000 after recent violence in Wau Town.