Senior Advisor For Humanitarian Access

Result of Service 1. Enhanced ability of humanitarian partners to deliver safe, principled, and accountable humanitarian assistance to people in need. 2. Improved security risk assessment and management processes, ensuring that risk mitigation measures are fully integrated with programming and operations. 3. Strengthened relationships with local authorities and other stakeholders, ensuring that humanitarian partners, their mission, and work in the areas of operations are known, accepted, and supported. 4. Increased access for humanitarian partners to reach people in need, including in areas controlled by armed groups. 5. Reduced security incidents affecting humanitarian staff and operations. 6. Enhanced capacity

Work Location Remotely

Expected duration 4 months

Duties and Responsibilities Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since 2014, which has caused a severe humanitarian crisis. The conflict has resulted in widespread displacement, food insecurity, and a lack of access to basic services such as healthcare and education. The Senior Advisor for Humanitarian Access plays a critical role in ensuring that humanitarian organizations can reach people in need in Yemen. The consultant will work closely with the Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen develop and implement strategies to improve humanitarian access. This will involve working with all parties to the conflict, as well as with local communities and authorities.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Senior Advisor for Humanitarian Access will be based in Yemen. the Senior Advisor for Humanitarian Access provides direct support to the Humanitarian Coordinator and OCHA Yemen Head of Office and will be responsible for the following duties:

• Provides strategic advice on issues relate to security, humanitarian access and operational challenges to enhance ability of humanitarian partners to deliver safe, principled, and accountable humanitarian assistance to people in need.
• Support the OCHA Country Office and Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator on overall policy direction on specific issues related to security, access and civil-military coordination; more generally, will review and provide advice on a diverse range of policy issues related to safeguarding humanitarian principles and ensuring the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance and the linkages with other related areas such as protection and accountability.
• Fosters and maintains liaison with counterparts in UNDSS, specialized agencies, Programmes and Funds, international organizations, relevant government agencies, authorities, embassies and NGOs. ensures appropriate mechanisms to facilitate collaboration and exchange of information both in and outside the UN system, including on early warning and action and contingency planning etc.
• Monitors, analyzes and reports on security related operational challenges to support operational coordination of humanitarian assistance.
• Support and/or participates in emergency assessment or relevant missions.
• Ensure senior level engagement with authorities and armed groups as required in Aden AoR (Area of Responsibility) in consultation with the Area Humanitarian Country Team.
• Work with UNDSS and Area SMT to develops area-specific indicators/ triggers on security and access situation in Aden AOR in collaboration with area experts and ensures the subsequent monitoring of these indicators; recommends actions based on the analysis of pertinent information.
• Provides advice to the Humanitarian Coordinator and OCHA Yemen on the security risk assessment process, with particular emphasis on ensuring that risk management methodology is fully integrated with programming and operations, including the implementation of risk mitigation measures.
• Initiates and coordinates activities related to technical cooperation on security & access in engagement with authorities, including where applicable, capacity building on humanitarian principles and civil-military coordination for security stakeholders.
• In consultations with the Head of OCHA & Field teams, strengthen ongoing relationships with local authorities and other stakeholders in Aden AoR to ensure that humanitarian partners, its mission and work in the areas of operations is known, accepted and supported.
• Work to encourage stakeholders to work with UN and humanitarian partners in facilitating that staff and programs are safe and allowed to continue humanitarian activities in Yemen.
• Maintain a high level of preparedness vis-a-vis predicted contextual fluctuations operationally and programmatically. Provides advice on the collection, interpretation, and analysis of security information, as it pertains to the security of UN staff and operations, including identification of problems and emerging trends and the establishment of area-specific early-warning systems

• Performs other duties as required.

  Qualifications/special skills A Master's degree or equivalent preferably in political/social science, international relations, law enforcement and/or business management with a focus on security management is required. A bachelor's degree with a relevant combination of academic qualifications and experience in a related area may be accepted in lieu of the Master's degree.

All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. A minimum of ten years’ experience in security management, access negotiations, counter terrorism, intelligence management, operational planning and investigation, crisis management, emergency or disaster planning, or related area is required. Experience working in humanitarian settings, including on emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management, or related area, as well as experience in a command or leadership position managing crisis situations is required. Experience of working in active conflict situation is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA.

For this position, fluency in English is required.

Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.