Organization Mission

OCHA is part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to disaster and emergencies.

OCHA delivers its mandate through;

COORDINATION – We bring together people, tools and experience to save lives.

ADVOCACY – We speak on behalf of people affected by conflict and disaster.

HUMANITARIAN FINANCING – We organize and monitor humanitarian funding.

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT – We collect, analyze and share critical information.

POLICY – We provide guidance and clarity on humanitarian policy.

Disclaimer
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
To learn more about OCHA”s activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.

Context

The Humanitarian Affairs Officer is to contribute to the coordination of humanitarian affairs in Vanuatu. This support can take various aspects from coordination to information, data collection, production of reports, liaison with interlocutors and deploying to areas affected by disaster in order to support a government-led humanitarian response.

Key Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of Head of Coordination and the overall supervision of the Deputy Head of Office, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
Monitor, analyze and report on humanitarian responses and issues, disaster relief/management programmes or emergency situations in Vanuatu.
• Monitor and analyze current events, public opinion and media, identify issues and
trends and advise on appropriate action/responses.
• Support OCHA’s Head of Coordination in updating the Pacific Humanitarian Team
(PHT) on humanitarian developments in Vanuatu.
• Establish and maintain contacts with other UN agencies, non-governmental organizations and government officials to ensure the effective exchange and dissemination of current information.
• Organize and participate in working groups, meetings, conferences and consultations
with other agencies and partners on humanitarian and emergency relief-related matters.
• Support humanitarian civil-military coordination activities in Vanuatu.
• Undertake missions throughout the area of responsibility (six provinces in Vanuatu)
for preparedness and emergency duties.
• Assist in the preparation of OCHA reports, studies, background papers, policy guidelines, correspondence, presentations, etc.
• Contribute to the development of a suite of reporting and information products, including Humanitarian Situation Updates and Reports, Humanitarian Bulletins, Humanitarian Snapshots etc.
• Act as reporting and public information focal point for Vanuatu.
• Performs other tasks as required.Work implies frequent interaction with the following:
• UN agencies, international and national NGOs and CSOs, and donors and diplomatic
missions.
• National Disaster Management Office and other government counterparts.
• Vanuatu Business Resilience Council, academia and other areas of civil society.

Required Skills and Experience

Demonstrated interest in humanitarian affairs.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Excellent writing and communication skills.
• Ability to set priorities and work toward deadlines.
• Accuracy in data collection and information gathering.
• Ability to work well under pressure and exercise appropriate initiative.
• Empathy towards people in need.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with people from other cultural backgrounds
• Relevant international field experience in natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies is an asset.
• Experience working in the Pacific region is an asset.

Core Competencies

☒ Accountability
☒ Adaptability and Flexibility
☒ Client Orientation
☒ Commitment and Motivation
☒ Communication
☒ Creativity
☒ Ethics and Values
☒ Integrity
☒ Judgement and Decision-making
☒ Planning and Organizing
☒ Respect for Diversity
☒ Self-Management
☒ Technological Awareness
☒ Working in Teams

Living Conditions

The Republic of Vanuatu is an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and west of Fiji that comprises about 80 islands. Of these, there are thirteen major islands and nine home active volcanoes. British and French settled the islands in the 19 century, they agreed in 1906 to administer the islands jointly, called the British-French Condominium, which lasted until independence in 1980. The population of Vanuatu was estimated at 245,800 (UN, 2019). Capital city: Port Vila. The majority of people (98.7%) are of Vanuatu ethnicity. Vanuatu is recognized as one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. Besides the Ni-Vanuatu people, there are small communities of French, British, Australian, New Zealand, Vietnamese, Chinese and other Pacific Island people.
Languages: There are over 130 different vernacular languages in use in Vanuatu but Bislama, which has similarities to the pidgin spoken in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, is the lingua franca of the archipelago. Bislama, English and French are the official languages, with the latter two as the principal languages of education. Vanuatu is a Republic with a democratically elected government. The country covers an area of about 860,000 sq km, although only 12,336 sq km of that island, much of which is covered by natural rainforest vegetation. The capital, Port Vila, on Efate islands is situated some 2250 km northeast of Sydney.
The other significant urban centre, Luganville, is on the country’s largest island of Espiritu
Santo. Cyclone season in Vanuatu is from November to April however tropical storms and cyclones may occur in other months. Vanuatu is located on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ an area where earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions can occur. Hospitals are located in Shefa and Luganville, as well as in other provinces. There is also a UN Doctor who can provide first aid assistance and guidance. There are no dangerous animals or insects in Vanuatu and no vaccinations are required although anti-malarial precautions are recommended for visits to outer islands.
The unit currency is Vatu.