New York, United States - The UN World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday said that food assistance has reached more 26,500 people fleeing fighting in Sudan’s South Kordofan state.   In a statement, made available to PANA in New York, the agency stated that, 'this week, WFP completed the distribution of a seven-day food ration to 8,500 people who have been sheltering in the vicinity of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) compound in the South Kordofan capital of Kadugli, following the recent upsurge in conflict'. It disclosed that another 3,000 displaced people in Heiban received a 15-day full ration on 11 June and 4,000 displaced people in Kauda also received theirs on 12 June.

'WFP staff as well as staff from UNMIS and other organizations also distributed food to 11,000 displaced people in the town of Talodi in South Kordofan on 14 June,' it noted.

The agency, however, said that on-going conflict in the area had continued to hinder its efforts to reach more people uprooted by the violence.

'Due to ongoing insecurity, WFP has been prevented from reaching its warehouse in Kadugli, which is stocked with 620 metric tons of food. 

'In order to meet the emergency food needs of those displaced, WFP routed five trucks carrying 300 metric tons of food from its warehouse in El Obeid towards the UNMIS compound where the food distribution was organised for 8,500 people,' it said. 

WFP also noted that it was working with all partners to find alternative routes to deliver food assistance to those who fled to remote areas.

'Before the conflict began, WFP was providing food assistance to some 400,000 people in South Kordofan through a mix of initiatives including school feeding, food for training, food for work and food for recovery.

'With the ongoing conflict, WFP is focusing mainly on those affected by violence and in need of emergency food assistance,' the statement said. 

The UN agency further said that it had relocated 34 of its 39 staff serving in South Kordofan due to the deteriorating security situation in Kadugli and elsewhere in the state. 

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide and each year, on average, WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries.

Pana 17/06/2011