The medical charity, MSF, says it today closed an emergency health facility in Melut, Northern Upper Nile, where it says security has improved since the beginning of the year.

The charity says the security situation was dire in the (Dethoma) camp at the beginning of 2014, but it is now normal.

According to IDPs cited by the charity, there were no shelters at the beginning of 2014. They had only some plastic sheets for shelter and were using water from the river for everything, including drinking.

The MSF says at that time, they were able to provide basic healthcare, vaccinations for all children to avoid outbreak of diseases, and to distribute some basic necessities for the IDPs to start their lives again.

Dethoma IDP camp. Credit| Kate Nolan

“MSF’s role as first responder was crucial at the start of the emergency. We were able to take care of the displaced population as they arrived at the beginning of 2014,” says Marta Cazorla, MSF Field Coordinator for Melut, in a statement.

Now, in 2017, MSF says there is less fighting around Melut and the displaced need regular instead of emergency services.

The charity says there were initially almost 20,000 Internally Displaced Persons in the area; but the number has reduced after some 5000 left the place.

Ms Cazorla the charity has prepared other healthcare actors who are to provide regular services that are still needed.

“In Melut, the needs of the displaced population changed and we have been working to prepare other healthcare actors who are better suited to provide this type of care,” she continues.

“MSF is ready to intervene in an emergency should the need arise again.”

The agency says the local medical actors have a greater capacity to deliver the necessary healthcare in the area, leaving MSF free to redeploy to areas where the needs are high.

The MSF had been operating in the area since the outbreak of the conflict in the country in 2013.