Associate Humanitarian Affairs Officer

Details

Mission and objectives

The Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific covers 41 countries, including the ten ASEAN countries (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam); eight SAARC countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka); five countries in North-East Asia (China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia and the Republic of Korea) as well as Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste. This region includes five OCHA country offices – Afghanistan, Myanmar, Pakistan (until April 2020), Philippines and the Office of the Pacific Islands, a multi-country office that provides primary support for the 14 countries in the Pacific.

Context

This United Nations Volunteers (UNV) assignment is part of UNOCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. The Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) covers 41 countries, including the ten ASEAN countries (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam); eight SAARC countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka); five countries in North-East Asia (China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia and the Republic of Korea) as well as Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste. This region includes five OCHA country offices – Afghanistan, Myanmar, Pakistan (until April 2020), Philippines and the Office of the Pacific Islands, a multi-country office that provides primary support for the 14 countries in the Pacific.
Humanitarian Advisory Teams (HATs)
ROAP maintains five Humanitarian Advisory Teams (HATs) in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Pakistan and Philippines. In addition to integral parts of OCHA’s regional response capacity, ROAP’s HATs have specialized functions that can only be fulfilled by maintaining a standing presence in the concerned countries.
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)
DPRK faces an underreported and underfunded chronic humanitarian situation with persistent, protracted needs, especially in food security, nutrition, health, and water and sanitation. DPRK is also vulnerable to natural disasters, particularly droughts and floods, which exacerbate already critical needs.
ROAP’s one-person HAT in DPRK supports the Resident Coordinator (RC), Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), and Sector Working Groups; to coordinate, strategize, plan, advocate for, finance, implement, and monitor humanitarian interventions in the country. Working closely with the UN agencies and INGOs operating in the country, as well as the Government National Coordination Committee (NCC), the State Committee for Emergency and Disaster Management t(SCDEM), and the donor community, the HAT supports the coordination of assistance to address the most acute needs and resolve or minimize gaps in the response.

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Humanitarian Affairs Officer/Head of the HAT or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer Humanitarian Affairs Officer will:
• Support OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific with focus on DPRK as well as other assignments whilst in Bangkok. Extensive travel is anticipated in the region in support of preparedness and response (surge) to sudden natural disasters and in support to DPRK.
DPRK-specific
• Assisting in processing humanitarian exemption requests channeled through the Resident Coordinator’s Office, including through engagement with relevant stakeholders;
• Supporting the production of appeals for international assistance and strategic response plans including DPRK Needs and Priorities;
• Ensures coherent reporting through the OCHA-managed Financial Tracking Service;
• Supports the collation and preparation of information for reporting on access, monitoring and results of humanitarian assistance, including for OCHA reporting to Donors and the 1718 Sanctions Committee, as well as liaison with relevant stakeholders and partners to produce up-to-date mapping of humanitarian activities in DPRK;
• Assisting in preparation of applications and reports for humanitarian funding, in particular, Central Emergency Response Fund (Underfunded Emergencies and Rapid Response) appeals;
• Contributing to the preparation of various written documents, e.g. briefing packs, background papers, policy guidelines, Needs and Priorities Status Updates etc.;
• Providing support to the HCT, UNCT and Sector Working Groups as required, including during emergency response situations and with contingency planning, including supporting the development of Emergency Response and Preparedness Plans;
• Coordinating the substantive preparations of donor meetings and donor field trips, including preparations of relevant background materials;
• Participating in technical assistance, disaster assessment or other missions, including country-level response preparedness and response missions (when possible)
General
• Maintaining awareness of current humanitarian affairs and related issues, to include relevant political considerations or other developments in specific subject areas, countries and or regional issues;
• Responding to various inquiries and information requests internally and externally;
• Assisting in the design and preparation of studies on humanitarian, disaster, emergency relief and related issues and in various follow-up activities; keeps abreast of developments and guidance on humanitarian related processes through self-learning and webinars
• Researching, analyzing and presenting information gathered from diverse sources on assigned topics/issues;
• Assisting in the organization of meetings, seminars, workshops, etc. with agencies and other partners to facilitate exchanges of views on specific humanitarian-related subjects/issues; serves as reported to such events;
• Developing and maintaining reference/resource information on specific topics or policy-related issues;
• Setting aside dedicated time for capacity development through coaching, mentoring and format and on-the-job training when working with national staff or (non-) governmental counterparts;
• Supporting the preparation of Emergency Response and Preparedness Plans.