Thousands of people in need of aid in South Sudan’s Upper Nile area will have to wait indefinitely after fighting forced the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to suspend humanitarian activities in the area.

The UN migration agency has said that IOM’s South Sudan Chief of Mission, William Barriga, regretted on Tuesday that civilians would continue to suffer as aid delivery could not reach them.

“Civilians will undoubtedly suffer as sporadic fighting makes it more difficult for aid workers to deliver services.

“Violence in Upper Nile has once again hindered the ability of IOM and other relief agencies to provide assistance to populations seriously in need,” Barriga said.

In addition to aid, Barriga said the migration agency was in the process of registering people to receive supplies when clashes between the Government and opposition forces forced everyone to evacuate.

An estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people remained in line when the team was forced to flee, the IOM official said.

According to IOM, clashes reached Wau Shilluk on Jan. 27, just as a 14-person team from IOM was about to resume registration.

A partner organisation, which provides aid, was with UN agency at the time.

Wau Shilluk is located north-eastern South Sudan, across the White Nile River from Malakal town.

Malakal was one of South Sudan’s largest urban areas before the current crisis and home to more than 33,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), who are sheltering at the protection of civilians’ site, said IOM.

The UN Mission in South Sudan, had on Monday, condemned the latest fighting and urged all parties to protect civilians.