Emergency Specialist

UNICEF est le Fonds des Nations Unies pour la protection de l'Enfance

UNICEF has worked for 70 years in 190 countries to promote children’s survival, protection, and development, providing vaccines, health and nutrition services, water and sanitation, education, and child protection, funded entirely by voluntary contributions. In the DRC, the UNICEF office in Kalemie covers Tanganyika Province, which has a population of about 3.48 million and is administratively divided into six territories and multiple local governance units.

Since May 2022, intercommunal violence—particularly in Nyunzu territory—has decreased due to government and humanitarian interventions. However, insecurity persists due to unresolved root causes of conflict, tensions between Bantu and Twa communities, militia incursions, and the presence of armed groups, including Maï-Maï Kata Katanga, which has caused recent population displacement. As of November 2023, nearly 180,000 people had returned home, while more than 320,000 remain displaced.

The gradual closure of IDP sites has led to the relocation of displaced populations into designated villages, where humanitarian actors apply resilience and peacebuilding approaches. Nonetheless, weak state presence, delayed implementation of the DDRC-S program, and cross-border armed group activity continue to undermine stability.

Tanganyika Province also faces major public health challenges, including recurrent cholera and measles outbreaks, and a high risk of vaccine-derived poliovirus transmission. Due to ongoing poliovirus circulation, Tanganyika has been identified as a priority province for intensified eradication efforts. Additionally, the province is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, particularly flooding caused by heavy rains affecting Lake Tanganyika and the Congo River.

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Field Office in Kalemie, this position is to support the emergency team in Tanganyika notably on the management of UNICEF Rapid Response (UniRR). The incumbent is to contribute to the qualitative, efficient and effective implementation of UniRR as well as monitoring.
The UN Volunteer Emergency Officer will undertake the following tasks:

1- Support UniRR implementation in Tanganyika

• Support implementation of the UniRR program in Tanganyika in collaboration with implementation partners, ensure capacity building in context analysis.
• Provide technical advice to the field teams and partners in general for the implementation of UniRR core group of activities.
• Monitor the progress of the implementation through analysis of log frame indicators.
• Support the partners’ team in post-intervention monitoring activities and in the external/internal communication of the program.
• Monitor and support the UniRR information’s system (Drive and Activity info)
• Participate in the coordination of interventions between WFP and Unicef for the complementarity of assistance.
• Participate in the coordination platforms of humanitarian responses following the orientations validated by the emergency section manager.

2- Support UNICEF Emergency preparedness and responses in Tanganyika

• In collaboration with partners, prepare documentation and recommendation for effective implementation of core activities through regular analysis of context and taking into account the level of security where operations are taking place.

• Participate to field visit during evaluation and/or intervention to support the partners teams and to complete the field context analysis and security follow-up; In the event of an emergency, the incumbent is deployed immediately with the intervention team to establish UNICEF’s presence and implement the initial operational tasks related to emergency assistance.

• Support needs assessment, targeting, delivery of assistance as well as post-delivery monitoring.
• To lead and coordinate preparation and responses plans to potential crisis in link with others UNICEF section.
• Identifies problems and constraints in order to ensure effective project delivery and communicate its observations and analysis to the emergency specialist.
• Upon return, provide feedback on each response with the aim of improving the program.
• Ensure that supplies are well dispatched to each hub without interruption.
• Collaborate with section on the need for post-emergency activities which should be validated through a plan validated by the concerned managers.
• Analyzes and proposes strategic solutions in the implementation of emergency responses and is available to support responses as needed.
• Provides contextual and needs analysis on emergency situations in the province (all types of emergencies).
• To work with government partner/DIVIAH.

Results/expected outputs:

• UniRR partners capacities are reinforced to ensure achievement of main programmatic objectives.
• All results’ indicators are met through a regular monitoring of all program activities.
• Analysis on contexts are developed and communicated
• Data collection and analysis system is developed to inform the program in general and to ensure proper delivery of assistance.
• Emergency Preparedness Plan for Kalemie office is developed and regularly updated.