Organizational/ Operational Context:

Afghanistan is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and an increasing risk of economic collapse. Forty years of armed conflict, recurrent natural disasters –  including droughts and floods, increased poverty, food insecurity, failing health systems, and lack of shelters, compounded by COVID-19 –  have made most of the people in Afghanistan vulnerable to extreme protection risks.

Events after August 2021, in addition to the global economic impact of COVID-19, have severely affected the coping mechanisms of vulnerable population groups in the country, particularly internally displaced people. The prices of main food commodities in Afghanistan are significantly higher than in the first half of the year. An average food basket now costs more than 82 per cent of the average family income. It is anticipated that 95 per cent of Afghans are now facing food insecurity. Some 23 million people, over half of Afghanistan’ s population, are facing acute food insecurity.

UNHCR has put in place a  Preparedness and Response Plan to meet needs in this fast-evolving context to: (i) provide critical protection and life-saving assistance and prevent human suffering; (ii) ensure life-saving assistance by improving access to essential services and by creating a conducive protection environment to mitigate further displacement; and (iii) support building resilient communities through  area-based programming, in so-called Priority Areas of Return and Reintegration (PARR), in line with the whole-of-society approach.

UNHCR Afghanistan’s population of concern includes 3.7 million persons including refugees, refugee returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and members of the host communities.

Against the backdrop, UNHCR has been working to complement and support the de facto authorities in addressing the needs of IDPs through its coordinator role in the Afghanistan Protection and ES/NFI Clusters as well as the provider of last resort. In particular, during emergency phases, UNHCR conducts joint needs assessments with other humanitarian actors and coordinates its responses. In addition, UNHCR is one of the key actors conducting Community-Based Protection Monitoring (CBPM) to assess the protection needs and concern of the IDPs and other POCs. In addition, for IDPs identified as most vulnerable, UNHCR provides assistance through its Persons with Specific Needs Programme (PSN) and Cash for Protection Programme (CFP). Under the “Whole of Community Approach” and to realize the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus, UNHCR also concentrates its effort to support durable solutions for IDPs, primarily in the Priority Areas of Return and Reintegration (PARRs). In the PARRs, IDPs benefits from a range of services and projects, including, among others, education, health, shelter, youth empowerment, livelihood opportunities, WASH, and infrastructure.

Work Description – General

The Field Associate is supervised by the Supervisor of the Protection Team (Protection Team Lead) and/ or Head of Office and performs a variety of functions related to Field activities within the office. The supervisor defines general work objectives and provides necessary advice and guidance. The Field Associate may supervise some General Service support staff.

The incumbent keeps frequent internal contacts with staff members in the same duty station to exchange information, to establish understanding of respective needs; to ensure provision of services and resolution of problems and with the external contacts generally with officials of national and international institutions, leaders of the refugee community, local population and/or Implementing Partners (IPs) on subject matters which may be of importance to the Organization.

The incumbent is to work in UNHCR Field Office Kandahar to assist the Protection Team. This post will help the protection team in managing a number of key and emergency programmes in Kandahar and in the outlying provinces at the region. In addition to its crucial role at current emergency humanitarian preparedness plan of UNHCR FOK, the staff member will be helping UNHCR FOK and liaising with the PoCs, interlocutors, various stakeholders and de facto authorities, as deem necessary, during the implementation of various interventions aimed at enabling access to basic services such as healthcare, education, livelihood opportunities, potable water, and clean energy.

In the field locations, under the supervision of his supervisor, the incumbent may play a liaison role with the de facto authorities and humanitarian organisations for coordinating UNHCR activities and gathering relevant information as deeds necessary for programmes’ planning and execution.

The incumbent will help the protection team in the Office to serve part of the back-up system and undertake parallel responsibility alongside original responsibility when the teammate is away. UNHCR FOK covers five provinces in the region, and if required, the staff member will undertake field visits to the outlying provinces to monitor projects and interact with local authorities and PoCs.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.