Nutrition in Emergencies Specialist

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

UNICEF Zimbabwe implements a broad Nutrition programme that supports policy and enabling environment work, subnational capacity building and community nutrition interventions under the Maternal, Infant, Young Child and Adolescent nutrition (MIYCAN), management of wasting, micronutrient supplementation and emergency response. Zimbabwe is a country with a low burden of wasting, but relatively higher chronic malnutrition (stunting) and ‘hidden hunger’ – micronutrient deficiencies, as well as rising levels of overweight and obesity, constituting a triple burden of malnutrition. Nutrition emergencies in Zimbabwe are varied in nature, ranging from climate-related both slow onset and rapid onset such as drought and floods / cyclones, to economic related crises driving food insecurity and poverty. Zimbabwe has, over the years, grappled with the negative effects of the climate crisis, which have led to erratic rainfall patterns characterized by either severe floods or prolonged periods of drought. As a result, 2.8 million people were estimated to be food insecure during the peak of the lean season in early 2024 (ZimLAC Rural 2023). The 2023/2024 El Niño event is set to worsen this situation and put children at increased risk of wasting. Already, 83 per cent of Zimbabwe’s children are living in food poverty, not receiving the diverse diet they need to grow and develop to their full potential (MICS 2019), putting them in a precarious position for fast deterioration in nutrition status as food security declines. The current El Nino induced drought is expected to reduce food access and availability, and thereby the quality of diets, which will result in a deterioration of nutrition status affecting children under-five, the most vulnerable, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women. The last comparable El Nino event in Zimbabwe (2015/16) resulted in an additional 10,000 children suffering from life-threatening severe wasting during the lean season following the El Nino. Learning from this, the nutrition sector has a short window of opportunity ahead of the onset of the lean season (in Oct 2024) to protect children’s diets, through promoting and supporting good feeding practices to prevent a rise in life-threatening wasting. As the global nutrition cluster lead, and the nutrition sector co-lead in Zimbabwe, UNICEF has a crucial role in coordinating humanitarian response including mapping and monitoring partner activities, supporting generation and availability of adequate nutrition data to inform response actions and monitor performance, ensuring accountability to affected populations and adequate monitoring of the response. The UNV will support the emergency nutrition response to the El Nino induced drought, ensuring a comprehensive, coordinated and multi-sectoral response to the emergency, aimed at preventing an increase in wasting and associated child mortality through protection of child diets and early identification and quality treatment of children with wasting. The UNV will also support the nutrition sector coordination, under the leadership of the Nutrition Manager.

Under the direct supervision of the Nutrition Manager, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: • Support nutrition sector coordination through: o Scheduling and organising regular monthly meetings o Capturing and sharing minutes (including attendance) and action points from the meetings o Scheduling ad-hoc sector meetings during emergencies as required and as re-quested by the sector lead or co-lead o Maintaining a regularly (at least monthly) updated nutrition sector contact list and 5Ws matrix. • Establish, maintain and monitor partnerships with implementing partners, national and/or international, as required for adequate and timely nutrition and child development in emergencies response. • Ensure timely and quality implementation of nutrition emergency activities as per emergency grants. • Monitor essential nutrition supplies, including RUTF and other therapeutic feeding commodities, working closely with the health section supply specialist to maintain the quality of the nutrition supply pipeline. • Ensure availability of nutrition data in emergencies including from screening, routine da-ta sources (DHIS2), assessments and surveys. • Support nutrition components of surveys and assessments, including the annual Zim-LAC. • Support documentation and reporting of the key activities and response practices; facilitate updating of the national nutrition emergency preparedness and response plan. • Ensure accountability to affected populations through gathering feedback. • Contribute to donor reporting for emergency funds. • Ensure adequate visibility of all emergency donors. • Document key successes through human interest stories, promising practice and lessons learned and raise visibility of UNICEF emergency response through generating content for social media, in collaboration with the communications section. • Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

• Accountability
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Building Trust
• Commitment and Motivation
• Communication
• Creativity
• Ethics and Values
• Integrity
• Judgement and Decision-making
• Knowledge Sharing

nutrition or public health programming, including in emergency contexts; experience with M&E tools is an asset, as is experience working in the UN or other national/international development organization; experience at national and/or international level is required. • Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills; • Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing; • Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development.

General Information: Harare is the capital of Zimbabwe. It is the seat of Government, the industrial hub and commercial centre for Zimbabwe. Harare is a cosmopolitan town full of culture and history. It has over a million residents and a large UN agency presence. It has a range of dining and entertainment facilities and is directly connected by air to Kenya, South Africa, Zambia and other neighbouring countries as well as being served by Emirates airlines. Zimbabwe has one of the most favourable climates in the world with beautiful vegetation. Harare overflows with lush gardens. Victoria Falls, one of the world’s biggest and most spectacular waterfalls, is in the country’s northwest. The country has numerous beautiful nature sites and is famous for its many game reserves within easy commuting distance.

Security: The Security Level in Harare is classified as Low (Level 2) as per the UN security management system in Zimbabwe. There are no major security challenges to UN operations in Harare. However, individuals must be on the alert as crime, mainly robberies, house break-ins and smash & grab thefts from motor vehicles at traffic lights and road accidents are some of the increasing risks to the UN in Zimbabwe.

Housing: Different types of long-term accommodation are available in Harare. House rentals and prices differ depending on size and location. You should always check with the UNDSS Security Advisor on recommended areas. Ensure that the property has a prolific borehole with a water tank in place and solar energy as back up since electricity can be a challenge. There is an online classifieds website and various reliable estate agencies one can contact to assist with house to rent searches. A list will be provided in the Welcome Pack that is shared with new staff. Depending on your family size and need, it is possible to rent furnished and unfurnished houses, townhouses or apartments.