Since April 2023, conflict in Sudan has driven nearly 623,000 refugees and 213,000 Chadian returnees—mostly women and children—into Chad, with close to 134,000 arriving in 2024 alone (as of 15 July). UNHCR and partners have expanded existing refugee settlements and established six new ones, alongside two villages for Chadian returnees, offering essential services like shelters, clinics, water points, sanitation, and learning spaces. However, these efforts fall short amidst overwhelming needs. Meanwhile, one-third of new arrivals face dire conditions in spontaneous sites along the border. The small border town of Adré is now hosting six times its original population of 40,000, which continues to grow. Escalating violence in Darfur and looming famine in Sudan risk forcing thousands more to flee to Chad. Authorities and UNHCR have already reported an increase in the number of arrivals recorded at the border entry points, including in Wadi Fira, where numbers have been multiplied by three. The massive arrival of refugees adds pressure on already overstretched national services, including education. Sudanese refugees have arrived in the Ouaddaï, Wadi Fira, Sila and Ennedi Est provinces of eastern Chad, already home to over 400,000 Sudanese refugees before the conflict.

Sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) is a serious human rights violation and represents a serious form of misconduct of UN and other humanitarian and development workers. In an emergency displacement situation, there is a breakdown of the usual protective institutions such as the family, community, government, law enforcement structures, etc.  The means of livelihood are severely affected, routines are disrupted, and there are usually considerable practical and psychosocial implications for the lives of those affected. Justice systems become overwhelmed or restricted, leading to a sense of impunity and the absence of the rule of law. In such a scenario, the risks of all forms of gender-based violence (GBV), including SEA, increase due to increased vulnerability and relative powerlessness experienced by those affected by displacement.  SEA risks are further exacerbated by the high number of women and children, who comprise most of the new arrivals to Chad.  In addition, emergencies bring a surge in the number of partners and other actors involved in delivering services and assistance, rapid recruitment of staff and high turnover, difficult working conditions and high work pressures and stress, and challenges to effective coordination and oversight. The risk of all forms of misconduct is increased, including SEA.

In order to fulfil our commitment towards the prevention of and response to any form of sexual exploitation or abuse, it is critical to actively take measures (or adapt existing programmes) to ensure that UNHCR, partners and other actors in the operation are equipped to prevent, mitigate risks of, and effectively respond to SEA. Staff, partners and affected communities need to be aware of what SEA is and what they can and should do when confronted with (allegations of) SEA and that systems are in place to prevent and mitigate risks of SEA and to respond in a victim-centred manner if SEA happens or if there are allegations. Furthermore, in a refugee response, UNHCR is responsible for ensuring that mechanisms for coordination on PSEA are in place and that PSEA is integrated across the operation, in line with the Refugee Coordination Model and its mandated accountabilities in UNHCR’s Statute and subsequent General Assembly resolutions. UNHCR’s accountability for coordinating PSEA in a refugee response is also recognized in the IASC Vision and Strategy on PSEAH 2022-2026.
To fulfil our commitment towards the prevention of and response to any form of sexual exploitation or abuse, UNHCR must oversee and coordinate PSEA efforts by all actors in a refugee response to ensure that the response is well equipped to prevent, mitigate risks of and effectively respond to SEA, particularly in an emergency where risks of SEA are heightened.

  The PSEA Officer will support the operation in Eastern Chad to strengthen systems and measures for prevention, risk mitigation, and response to SEA and to ensure a coordinated and coherent approach to PSEA across the emergency response to the refugee influx from Sudan.

  The PSEA Officer will support the operation in Eastern Chad to strengthen systems and measures for prevention, risk mitigation, and response to SEA and to ensure that PSEA is integrated across the emergency refugee response. This will include supporting the operation to strengthen inter-agency coordination on PSEA in the refugee response, in close coordination with gender-based violence (GBV), child protection (CP), accountability to affected people (AAP), protection and community-based protection as well as other sectoral coordination structures for integration of PSEA across the response. The overall duties and responsibilities will be confirmed by the operation upon the arrival of the deployee.

  Under the supervision of the Head of Office, the PSEA Officer will:

• Review SEA prevention and response systems in place in the refugee operation and provide technical support to strengthen UNHCR and partners’ systems and capacity to prevent and respond to SEA.

 

• Coordinate the assessment of SEA risks in sites that receive new arrivals and support the identification and implementation of measures for mitigation of SEA risks across the emergency response, in collaboration with all concerned colleagues and stakeholders.
• Support and facilitate the inclusion of PSEA in communication with communities, including through community consultations and awareness-raising on key information regarding PSEA through channels that are adapted and accessible to diverse groups within affected communities, in collaboration with community-based protection, AAP focal points and other concerned stakeholders.

 

• Assess PSEA-related training needs and undertake capacity-development on PSEA for UNHCR and partner personnel, local authorities, communities, and other key stakeholders in the emergency response, in collaboration with relevant colleagues and in coordination with UN or other partners as relevant.

 

• Work with relevant colleagues and stakeholders across the operation including community-based protection and AAP focal points / actors to ensure that complaints and feedback mechanisms are in place, accessible, and safe to use, including for reporting of SEA allegations.

 

• Coordinate closely with GBV, child protection, and protection focal points and (sub) working groups, with a view to ensure effective inclusion of SEA victims in GBV and child protection referral pathways to enable them to access appropriate assistance.

 

• Support the development or updating of PSEA Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), as relevant.

 

• Liaise with relevant coordination structures in the refugee response, such as the inter-sector and/or refugee coordination forum and sector working groups, to promote mainstreaming of PSEA across the response.

 

• Support the operation with PSEA capacity assessments and the development of capacity strengthening implementation plans with new or adapted partnerships with partners, as needed.

 

• Perform other related duties as required.

  Experience

• Protection experience, particularly in GBV, Child Protection, community-based protection, or AAP.
• Prior experience working on PSEA, with emphasis on establishing and strengthening SEA prevention and response systems, desirable.
• Work in capacity development, support, and training of staff, partners, and government counterparts.
• Prior experience in coordination with multiple stakeholders.
• Prior experience in working in emergencies and under challenging conditions will be an asset.

Essential requirements

• Minimum five years’ work experience.
• University degree required.
• Fluency in French required; English will be an advantage.

Personal Characteristics

• Strong interpersonal skills and coordination expertise.
• Action-oriented and able to work independently.
• Adaptability and flexibility in the context of the emergency response.