WFP completes first food delivery by boat in Upper Nile State in 2018. | Photo: UN.

The United Nations’ food agency, WFP has suspended its barge movements in Upper Nile State due to insecurity and illegal checkpoints, the humanitarian agency OCHA said.

In the statement, the UN cited heavy taxation and illegal checkpoints allegedly along river routes, impacting the delivery of supplies by both humanitarian and commercial boat owners.

The situation has forced WFP and Logistics Cluster to suspend their barge movements from Malakal, and beyond Adok and Kaldak indefinitely.

“In Fangak County, heavy taxation and illegal checkpoints were reported along river routes, impacting the delivery of supplies by both humanitarian and commercial boat owners,” said OCHA statement.

The escalation in tension and conflict in Tonga resulted in thousands of people displaced across several areas between Malakal and Tonga in the Upper Nile state.

Ocha said to the aid partners in Old Fangak reported that the newly displaced people from New Fangak arrived with little to nothing, and with no food.

It adds that the host population in Old Fangak is in urgent need of food, as the last general food distribution was done in May 2022.

OCHA further stated that there are very limited commodities available in the market as insecurity has hampered the movement boats across the river.

The UN humanitarian agency added that their operations will resume if the armed actors give assurances they will respect humanitarian movement and commodities.

“WFP and the Logistics Cluster have suspended their barge movements from Malakal, and beyond Adok and Kaldak, until the situation improves, and assurances are received from all armed actors along the river to respect humanitarian movement and commodities.”

In the recent months, fierce fighting allegedly involving SPLA-IO defectors and other armed actors has killed dozens and displaced tens of thousands in Panyikang and Tunga areas of Upper Nile State as well as Fangak County in Jonglei State.