“As a medical emergency response organization, we stepped in to fill gaps in water and sanitation when the health situation became critical and no other major organization could respond,” says Sophie Mealier, MSF’s Head of Mission. “Now that access to existing sites has improved, it is time for others to fill these needs, while we continue to focus on harder-to-reach areas and meet urgent health needs.”

“Most sites have significant problems with water, sanitation and hygiene,” says Frenso Désir, water and sanitation project manager. “While MSF provides drinking water and other services, sanitation remains a major challenge. Waste disposal is a constant problem, exacerbated by the control of the landfills by armed groups.”

We call for increased humanitarian assistance to meet the most urgent needs of displaced communities. Water, sanitation and hygiene services are particularly important. These services include trucking water, sanitation of latrines and showers, distribution of hygiene kits and health and hygiene promotion. We also call on stakeholders to provide the necessary resources to ensure the safety and dignity of displaced people.