Emergency Specialist, P3, Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Contract

This is a P-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 106,748 USD and 139,778 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, safety

Honduras is suffering from long-standing humanitarian crises that have further weakened the already limited capacity of the State and the coping capacity of communities. In 2021, the situation of children continued to be negatively impacted by the social and economic effects of COVID-19 and tropical storms Eta and Iota. In addition, violence is a daily reality for children and adolescents in many communities, affecting them in school, at home and in the community in the form of homicides, disappearances, extortion, sexual abuse and forced recruitment. As a result, thousands of children, adolescents and their families decide to migrate in search of safety and opportunity. Their migration journey, in turn, increases the risk of exploitation, violence and death.

The United Nations, in coordination with the humanitarian network, led a multisectoral exercise to develop a Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) for 2021 and extend the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) into 2022. The HNO 2021 estimates that there are 2.8 million people in need of assistance in Honduras, of whom 405,000 are children. They face increasing, overlapping and multidimensional risks, in a context of extreme fragility. Two million people were affected by the food crisis, according to the 2021 Global Report on Food Crises. Levels of poverty were also exacerbated by the compounded effects of the pandemic and Eta/Iota, according to data from the Honduran National Institute of Statistics, which indicate that poverty increased by 13.9 percentage points and extreme poverty by 9.4 percentage points between 2019 and 2021.

Access to education, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and health services was greatly reduced due to these multiple crises, especially for the most vulnerable, putting at risk the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7, among others. Approximately 1 million school-age children were out of school at the beginning of 2020. In addition, more than half a million children dropped out of school during the pandemic, according to the Education Humanitarian Cluster. Only 68.2 per cent of schools have basic access to drinking water and 12.5 per cent to basic hygiene services, making it more difficult to comply with biosecurity protocols to enable a full reopening in 2022, as planned. Data from the 2019 National Demographic and Health Survey/ Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (ENDESA/MICS) revealed that half of the population lacks access to an improved and faecal-free source of drinking water in their homes, evidencing the lack of a climate-resilient, inclusive and responsive approach in WASH services. The situation is reported to have worsened after Eta/Iota damaged 535 WASH systems. According to a United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean evaluation, the tropical storms damaged 29.2 per cent of primary health-care units and 6 of 15 basic hospitals in the country. The overload of the health sector caused by the pandemic resulted in restricted access to health care. This is exemplified by the drop-in immunization rates for children under the age of 5 and by the fact that Honduras ended 2021 with one of the lowest coverage rates of COVID-19 vaccination in Latin America and the Caribbean (48 per cent). The ongoing crisis is also aggravating child malnutrition in all its forms. According to ENDESA/MICS, stunting affects 19 per cent of children under 5 years of age nationwide, but 33 per cent of those in the poorest households. Approximately 36 per cent of children under 5 years of age have anaemia. The prevalence of acute malnutrition reached 3.1 per cent in cities such as San Pedro Sula. The situation is expected to deteriorate due to the impact of COVID-19 and Eta/Iota. If this situation continues to be overlooked by authorities and donors, it is estimated by HNO that 38,000 children in Honduras could suffer from acute malnutrition in 2022, with 14,000 severe cases. The HNO 2021 shows that 33 per cent of the population in need of humanitarian assistance was affected by multiple challenges related to lack of protection, predominantly children and women, which are highly vulnerable groups. According to the Observatory of Violence of the National University, 3,800 homicides were registered in 2021 (40 per 100,000 inhabitants). From January through November, 292 women were victims of violent deaths and femicides; 8.9 per cent were girls aged 0–17 years.

This situation caused a substantial increase in migration in 2021. The National Centre of Information for the Social Sector reports that, between January and December, 54,141 Hondurans returned, an increase of 158 per cent compared with 2020. During the same period, the Directorate for Children, Adolescents and Families (DINAF) reported that 10,380 children (5,104 unaccompanied) either returned or were prevented from crossing the border, more than twice the number registered in 2020. The United States border patrol reported that the number of unaccompanied Honduran children increased from 4,776 in 2020 to 39,904 in 2021. These numbers are likely only the tip of the iceberg, as many migrants and returnees do not go through an official pathway.

In 2021, UNICEF continued adjusting its programme operations to respond to the humanitarian crisis that affected 2.8 million people in the country, including victims of the tropical storms, the pandemic, violence, migration and school closures. Using humanitarian funds, UNICEF provided access to basic health, WASH, education and protection opportunities to more than 465,000 children and 268,000 adults, most of whom face vulnerabilities and are affected by multiple emergencies and migration. A total of 3.6 million people received lifesaving COVID 19 and HIV/AIDS prevention messages. UNICEF serves as a lead agency in humanitarian clusters activated in the WASH and Education sectors, as well as the Child Protection Area of Responsibility (AoR) and the Nutrition Working Group, in coordination with key Government counterparts. In this role, UNICEF contributes to the coordination of the response, advocacy, sectoral needs updates, information management, capacity-building of sector partners, production of sector strategic plans under the HRP 2021/2022, resource mobilization and design of transitional strategies.

How can you make a difference?

Under the guidance and supervision of the Deputy Representative, the Emergency Specialist will establish and implement the Honduras office emergency preparedness and response. S/He will be responsible for the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the emergency interventions to ensure the survival and well-being of children and mothers, and the affected communities in an emergency situation.

The Key End-Results of the assignment

1. Emergency preparedness is effectively arranged together with establishment of country contingency plans and early warning mechanisms.

2. Emergency preparedness and response plans addresses gender, AAP, PSEA and Nexus issues in line with the CCCs.

3. Emergency plans of action are developed, and compliance and coordination of all sectors with the plans are implemented.

4. Technical advice and guidance on emergencies and programme management related to implementation of emergency preparedness and response measures are effectively provided.

5. Coordination of emergency preparedness and response, and a consistent flow of information of the humanitarian situation are effectively maintained within the office.

6. Substantive improvements are made in the emergency preparedness and response capability of UNICEF staff and implementing partners through conduct of effective training activities.

7. In the event of an emergency, UNICEF's presence is promptly established and the initial emergency operational tasks are effectively executed (when possible within the interagency framework), including provision of support for information communication technology, telecommunications facility and all staff security related assistance in the country office.

8. Needs assessment is effectively conducted to determine priorities and an appropriate intervention by UNICEF based on the local emergency situation affecting children, their families and community, when possible within the interagency framework.

9. Timely delivery of assistance and supplies is provided, urgent staffing requirements are identified, and the appropriate use of UNICEF resources is monitored for effective project delivery.

10. Coordinates the elaboration of emergency appeals and project proposals with the different programmatic areas, and concerted efforts are put forward to mobilize donor response and recovery/rehabilitation-related funding.

11. Longer-term requirements of the emergency operation/interventions are determined to build a regular operational and staffing structure.

12. Continuous, effective and strategic coordination, communication, consultation and liaison are maintained with Government, UN agencies, NGOs, humanitarian inter agency network, donors and allies in support of the special needs of children and women affected by emergency situations within the framework of the cluster approach and based on the Core Commitment for Children.

13. Management is kept informed of humanitarian developments in relevant policies, situation developments, potential threats and opportunities/issues in the country.

14. Emergency preparedness and response strategies are mainstreamed in the country office's workplans. Sectoral input is provided for all related documents for the office’s Emergency Preparedness and Response, as well as for the Situation Analysis and the Country Programme Document.

15. Coordinates the elaboration and ensures that quality of emergency reports (SITREPs, donors….), are timely provided.

16. Oversees the use of emergency funds, to ensure compliance with emergency donors requirements.

17. Coordinates and supervises a coordination team for UNICEF led cluster/AdR/sector (coordinators and IM), and ensures coherence within UNICEF and the inter-agency humanitarian network strategies, objectives.

18. Maintains a constant communication and coordination with the emergency team in LACRO

Key accountabilities and duties & tasks

Within the delegated authority and under the given organizational set-up, the incumbent may be assigned the primary, shared, or contributory accountabilities for all or part of the following areas of major duties and key end-results.

1. Emergency Preparedness
2. Emergency Response
3. Emergency Project

For more detail information on these tasks please refer to the job profile Emergency Specialist HON Level 3.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in one of the following fields: social sciences, public administration, international law, public health, nutrition, international relations, business administration or other related disciplines. Preferably a combination of management, administration, and relevant technical fields.
• A minimum of *****5 years***** of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in programme/project development, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and administration, including at least two year in emergency contexts. Developing country work experience (for IP) or field work experience (for NO), including in at least one country in emergency context
• Fluency in English and Spanish is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.