UNV - Associate Humanitarian Affairs Officer

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Mission and objectives

The OCHA oPt office was established in late 2000. The office was established in response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the West Bank and Gaza caused by military incursions and closures - mobility restrictions imposed on the Palestinian civilians, local and international service providers.

Context

As per its global mandate, the OCHA Country Office in the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT) has the responsibility for mobilizing and coordinating effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to address the ongoing humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem; advocating the rights of people in need; promoting preparedness and prevention; and facilitating sustainable solutions.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Humanitarian Analysis Unit, the UN Specialist Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

• Monitors humanitarian developments and maintains strong situational awareness and analysis, based on thorough knowledge and research into a wide range of issues, including relevant political, policy, and gender considerations or other developments.
• Assists in reporting on humanitarian developments in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. He/She will contribute to the design and preparation of OCHA reports, sections of studies, background papers, talking points, presentations and documents, in support of policy development and decision-making by senior leadership on humanitarian-related issues.
• Researches, analyzes and presents information gathered from diverse sources on assigned topics/issues.
• Contributes to the drafting of various internal reference or policy documents, including standard operating procedures, policy guidelines, and lessons learnt…etc.
• Organizes and participates in work groups, meetings, conferences, consultations with other agencies and partners on humanitarian and emergency relief-related matters.
• Supports the establishment and maintenance of partnerships with key stakeholders, including UN agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations, think tanks and other actors monitoring and analyzing humanitarian issues to facilitate collaboration and exchange of information both in and outside the UN system.
• Provides support to sector/cluster working groups and facilitate exchanges on cross-cutting issues; and supports or participates in assessments, contingency plans and lessons learnt activities.
• Participates in work planning and contingency planning processes.
• Performs other duties as required or requested by the Head of the Humanitarian Analysis Unit or the OCHA oPt Head of Office.

Eligibility criteria

Age: 18 - 80

Nationality: Candidate must be a national or legal resident of the country of assignment.

Requirements

Skills and experience

• Experience in humanitarian affairs, emergency preparedness, crises/emergency relief management, administration, human rights or other related areas is required;
• Experience in research and writing/drafting reports or other products on humanitarian or related issues is required.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet analysis is required;
• Knowledge of a wide range of humanitarian assistance, emergency relief and related human rights issues, including knowledge of International Humanitarian Law and knowledge of the Israel-Palestine crisis is desirable.
• Experience in GIS/ remote sensing and database management is an advantage.

Area(s) of expertise

Administration, Communication, Crisis and emergency response

Languages

English, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level

Master degree or equivalent in Political science, social science, law, international studies, public administration, economics or a related field.

Competencies and values

• Accountability
• Commitment to Motivation
• Commitment to Continues Learning
• Communication
• Ethics and Values
• Integrity
• Professionalism
• Respect for diversity
• Technological awareness
• Working in Teams

Other information

Living conditions and remarks

The UN Volunteer will be living in Jerusalem which is a family duty station. It is currently at UNDSS security level MODERATE. As is the case for UN staff and partners, the volunteer will make his/her own arrangements for housing and transportation to and from work. International UN personnel rent furnished or unfurnished apartments found using agents or by word-of-mouth through colleagues. Personnel in Jerusalem and its vicinity usually use their own cars for transportation. Internationals who want to arrive or leave the country can either enter through Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan, and cross King Hussein/Allenby Bridge or Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel. Travel into the West Bank is only permitted in a UN vehicle with a UN driver and no overnight stays are permitted except for at locations cleared by UNDSS. Travel into Gaza is only permitted in an armoured UN vehicle with a trained driver. Overnight stays in Gaza are strictly confined to an approved, secure hotel. Jerusalem has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and short, wet, cool winters; temperature and rainfall vary depending on altitude and location. The Palestinian dialect is common to Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and parts of Iraq. In Jerusalem, both English and Hebrew are also common. The Israeli shekel (NIS) is the currency of the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel. The time zone is GMT +2 hours. The health care sector is divided into public and private health services. The public health service is accessible to all. Better health services can be found at private clinics and hospitals, which are spread out mainly in larger cities. Sophisticated medical care, including for children, is available throughout Jerusalem. Primary and secondary education is available for the children of international personnel in Jerusalem, which include schools such as the Anglican International School of Jerusalem and the Lycée Français de Jerusalem. There are different mobile service providers in Palestine. Partner is the Israeli phone company used by most UN Agencies in Jerusalem. For West Bank and Gaza strip, the Palestinian company Jawwal is also available. In some areas in the West Bank and in the whole Gaza Strip, partner does not have coverage and Jawwal is necessary to ensure communication. Incoming phone calls from most of the countries in the Arab region are not possible due to the restrictions imposed by some States against Israel. Skype is the best option to communicate abroad. Palestine has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and short, wet, cool winters; temperature and rainfall vary depending on altitude and location. The Palestinian Arabic dialect is common to Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and parts of Iraq. In Ramallah, English is also common. The Israeli shekel (NIS) is the currency of the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel. Time zone is GMT +2 hours. UN Volunteers are granted an Israeli Multiple Entry Service Visa prior to arrival, which will not allow entrance to most of the countries in the Arab region, apart from Jordan and Egypt. Some countries provide their citizens with a second passport if they work and live in Israel to be able to travel freely in the region.

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy

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