Martin Dawes' report on theft in southern Sudan

There are too many graves at Ajiep - the town suffers one of the highest death rates in the stricken Bahr Al Ghazal region.

People are flocking there from miles around, but some of those who are desperate are being deliberately excluded from the aid ration.

Food distributions are arranged through the relief arm of the rebel movement.

And in too many places, outsiders aren't selected, or, as in Ajiep, food is actually stolen from people after they have moved away from the UN monitors. This miserable theft undoubtedly costs lives.

The UN Food programme is increasing the number of field staff, but aid organisers have little choice. They have to deal with local officials - the good as well as the bad.

"We have to trust them basically," said Mike Sackett of the World Food Programme.

Not everybody is selected to recieve aid

"We're going to send a message to the top management of the SPLA [Sudan People's Liberation Army] to insure that things go better in future."

There is not enough food getting in for an entire town that lacks the means to achieve basic subsistence.

From what goes on at its feeding centres, the medical charity, Médecins Sans Frontières, believes food aid must be rapidly re-targeted towards the most vulnerable.

Marc Hermant from MSF said: "We can see in most of our programme that the situation of the children is not improving. It is obviously because the ones in need, who should be first in line are probably the last ones, or may not even be getting anything."

"The ones who should be first in line are probably the last"

Many believe a total calamity is inevitable. The UN and aid groups are moving the operation into a higher gear.

MSF has seven centres in the region identical to the one in Ajiep. And, just like the one in Ajiep, all are full to capacity.

Altogether, some 9,000 children are being treated, but the organisation says that by August, it expects to be looking after 20,000.