Country: Eritrea
Closing date: 20 Mar 2018
Title: Humanitarian Affairs Specialist, P3
Contract type: Temporary Appointment
Reports to: Deputy Representative
Duration: Twelve months (renewable)
Start date: May 1st, 2018
Location:Asmara, Eritrea
BACKGROUND
The Government of the State of Eritrea (GoSE) and the United Nations (UN) launched the new five-year Strategic Partnership Cooperation Framework (SPCF) on 1 December 2016, covering 2017-2021. Humanitarian response priorities (also known as Basic Services Response Priorities) are integrated into this framework for ease of synergy and transition into medium to long-term development interventions, and amount to approximately 23 percent of the total indicative resources for the SPCF 2017-2021.
The 2018 Basic Services Response Priorities (BSRP) document outlines Ânutrition, health, water, sanitation and hygiene, education, child protection as UNICEF's areas of focus. By integrating humanitarian responses into the development programme, UNICEF aims to support approximately 500,000 vulnerable children including children with disabilities and in pastoralist communities, women-headed households,[1] pregnant and lactating mothers, and people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS.
Eritrea experienced El Nino during the 2015-16 and 2017 agricultural seasons as was the case in the entire Horn of Africa region (Economist Intelligence Unit - EIU, 2016, 2017). Although domestic cereals availability for the 2016/17 period is difficult to determine because of lack of crop harvest assessment, food insecurity generally worsens during the usual mid-July to mid-November lean season. Consequently, tackling household food insecurity and malnutrition among children and mothers of child-bearing age remain priorities for 2018. Outbreaks of Acute Watery Diarrhoea, one of the three leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children under 5 years of age, and low immunization coverage are common in remote parts of the country. In some of these areas, pregnant women lack easy access to health services and children lack equitable access to basic education. Additionally, conflict has left parts of the country contaminated with landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW).
United Nations presence and continued advocacy for the survival and development of children in Eritrea is vital for supporting the Government to meet immediate needs while focusing on the country's development agenda, especially in the absence of international non-governmental organizations. Apart from long-standing key donors, the United Nations regularly mobilizes funds from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), particularly from its window for underfunded emergencies. The insignificant amount of CERF funding received over the years (US$ 39 million since 2006) underlines the state of underfunding for operations in Eritrea. For 2018, the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) has prioritized joint efforts with the Government to improve programme implementation and monitoring, and resource mobilization. Thus, UNICEF Eritrea requires a dedicated Humanitarian Affairs Specialist to manage and coordinate UNICEF-supported humanitarian preparedness and response.
GOAL AND SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
Under the guidance of the Deputy Representative and in close collaboration with Section Chiefs, the PM&E Specialist, the Communication Specialist, the Communication for Development Officer, the Chief of Operations, and Representative, the overall goal of this position is to support UNICEF Eritrea's humanitarian preparedness and response. More specifically, the objectives of the Humanitarian Affairs Specialist is to:
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES
Education: Advanced University degree in one of the following fields: social sciences, public administration, international law, public health, nutrition, international relations, business administration or other related disciplines, preferably with a focus on Human Rights.
Work Experience: Five (5) years of responsible professional work experience at national or international levels in humanitarian response programming, monitoring and evaluation. Experience working in emergency contexts in a developmental setting and asset. Experience working on resilience programming an asset. Familiarity with working in complex programming environment is an asset. Experience in important global humanitarian and resources mobilization initiatives qualifies.
COMPETENCY PROFILE:
i)Core Values (Required)
Commitment; Diversity and Inclusion; Integrity
ii)Core Competencies (Required)
Communication [II]; Working with People [II]; Drive for Results [II]
iii) Functional Competencies (Required)
Leading and Supervising [II]; Analyzing [II]; Deciding and Initiating Action [III]; Persuading and Influencing [III]; Applying Technical Expertise [III]; Planning and Organizing [II]; Adapting and Responding Change [III]; ÂCoping with Pressure and Setbacks [III]
[1] 47% of households nationwide are female headed (EPHS, 2010)
How to apply:
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization. To apply, click on the following link http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=511422