Nutrition Expert

Details

Mission and objectives

Update

Context

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 fulfil their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. Every child has the right to nutrition. And today, the need for diets, services and practices that protect, promote and support good nutrition has never been greater. The vision of the UNICEF Nutrition Strategy 2020– 2030 is “a world where all children, adolescents and women realize their right to nutrition”. This vision is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which recognizes the right of every child to adequate nutrition. The goal of the Strategy is “to protect and promote diets, services and practices that support optimal nutrition, growth and development for all children, adolescents and women”. This goal aims to contribute to the goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to ensure children’s access to nutritious diets and to end child malnutrition in all its forms. The Libya Country Office has been contributing to the global and national targets for improving health and well-being. On Sunday, 10 September 2023, the Mediterranean Storm Daniel made landfall in Libya causing severe weather conditions, including fierce winds and sudden heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding affecting several northeastern areas of Libya (Benghazi, Tobruk, Toukra, Talmeitha, Almarj, Taknes (Al Jabal Al Akhdar), Al Owailia, Albayda, Shahhat, Sousa and Derna). UNICEF is actively responding to the humanitarian crisis caused by Storm Daniel in Eastern Libya to address the urgent nutrition needs of the affected population. The devastating flooding and displacement disrupted access to basic health and nutrition services, and loss of livelihood posing a significant risk of emerging malnutrition, especially for vulnerable groups like children, pregnant women, and the elderly. Given the lack of coordination between partners, the nutrition thematic working group was initiated by the Residence Coordinator (RC) in Libya on September 17th , 2023, for the flood response to coordinate nutrition sector-related issues and is co-chaired by UNICEF and chaired by the Primary Health Care Institute (PHCI). The role of the Nutrition Thematic Working Group in coordinating and supporting ongoing emergency and recovery interventions is essential to ensure that the most needy receive appropriate, adequate and timely assistance. Through this coordinated effort, UNICEF aims to ensure that the most vulnerable individuals receive timely and appropriate Nutrition services. Accordingly, UNICEF health and nutrition section, in coordination with (PHCI- MOH), has designed and implemented a package of services to minimize the gap of PHC and nutrition services’ availability and accessibility in a sustainable manner. UNICEF's response is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). By addressing nutrition needs, UNICEF aims to eliminate hunger, improve health outcomes, and foster effective partnerships to achieve sustainable development.

Task description

Under the guidance and supervision of the chief field office in Benghazi, the UNV expert will perform the following tasks: • Provide day-to-day support to PHCI integrated health/nutrition mobile teams to roll out maternal, infant, and young child nutrition services including screening, detection and treatment. • Conduct regular programme field visits and exchange information with partners and stakeholders to assess progress and provide technical support • Contribute to informing and updating the situation analysis for the nutrition sector to ensure comprehensive and current data on maternal and child nutrition is available to guide emergency response in the East. • Support the preparation and design of nutrition programs in the east, ensuring quality implementation of planned emergency response activities. • Support the rollout, implementation, and design of nutrition programmes/projects in coordination with the Benghazi Field office. • Keep abreast of development trends to enhance programme management, efficiency, and delivery. • Provide on-site support and mentoring to the Government Nutrition mobile teams to ensure the effectiveness of interventions. • Participate in strategic programme discussions on Nutrition planning with Local authorities and colleagues in the Benghazi Field office and partners, to ensure the achievement of concrete and sustainable Nutrition results. • Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes to ensure integration, coherence, and harmonization of projects with other UNICEF sectors. • Collaborate with the finance and logistics teams to ensure timely procurement and deployment of Nutrition supplies. • Develop and submit periodic reports on Nutrition emergency preparedness and response activities. • Documentation of best practices, challenges faced, and lessons learned for future reference. • Ensure the efficient allocation and utilization of resources during emergencies, for cost-effective drive for results. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Provide annual and end of assignment self- reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities. • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible. Results/expected outputs • As an active UNICEF team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNICEF and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including the support provided by the UNV Nutrition officer will enable the Country Office to achieve the health/nutrition -related output results of the country programme. This, in turn, will contribute to the achievement of the outcome results of the Country Programme Document. When done effectively, the achievement of the outcome results will improve child survival, growth and development and reduce inequalities in the country. • Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment. • A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed