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UNHCR-Protection Officer (AAP)-P3-Farchana, Chad
Farchana, ChadPosition Title: Protection Officer - Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP)
Receiving Agency: UNHCR
P Level: P3
Location: Farchana, Chad
Duration: 3 months
Language: Fluency in French and English required
Despite these ongoing challenges, Chad has always been a place of refuge and provides sanctuary for those in need. It is one of the top 10 refugee-hosting countries globally and the largest in Africa.
As of now, Chad is providing shelter for 1,728,901 displaced individuals, including Sudanese, Central Africans, Nigerians, and Cameroonians, as well as internally displaced persons and returnees. Most of these individuals are living in 27 camps and sites, some of which have been established since 2003.
The recent influx of over 646,796 refugees from Sudan has further strained the already burdened local environment in Eastern Chad with 58% of women and 48% of men. The situation in Sudan remains tense, leading to more refugees fleeing to Chad, particularly from the Darfur region. UNHCR expects more arrivals in the coming weeks and is preparing to respond effectively to this new influx. The new arrivals are in urgent need of protection, including child protection, prevention, and response to gender-based violence, psychosocial support, education, water and sanitation, food, shelter, healthcare, and basic household items.
Refugees, many of whom are women and children, are living in makeshift accommodations under trees with limited access to clean water and facilities. Their food supplies are running low, and both children and parents require psychosocial support.
Local authorities have requested UNHCR's assistance in relocating new arrivals from villages near the borders to established camps, to provide them with better living conditions.
UNHCR takes a comprehensive approach to addressing the refugee crisis, working on two fronts. Firstly, the emergency response efforts at the border, offering crucial services such as protection, food, water, medical care, and temporary shelter. This includes measures to protect the most vulnerable refugees, such as unaccompanied children, the elderly, and pregnant women. Secondly, UNHCR focuses on the relocation and assistance of refugees in camps. This involves the establishment of new camps to accommodate incoming refugees, as well as improving existing ones. Refugees in these camps will have access to a range of essential services, including shelter, basic relief items, and medical care. The aim is to ensure that all refugees receive the support they need to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.
In this regard five new camps were installed and the extension of 8 old camps were made to ensure refugees are safely installed. Participatory assessments that have been conducted since the influx have helped to identify the increased protection risks faced by women and girls and the population in general. These exercises have allowed discussions with the refugees to collect their needs, present the various available services, including complaint and feedback mechanisms, and, above all, promote the community-based approach to protection.
The existing hotline in N’Djamena has been made national, allowing refugees across the operation to call and receive referrals to different aid intervention sectors according to their needs. In the East several information and feedback centers have been set up. UNHCR continues to strengthen communication and feedback mechanisms to ensure that all individuals under its mandate are considered, regardless of their age, diversity, or gender.
MISSION OBJECTIVES
Essential requirements
Personal Characteristics
CANADEM and its partners have a no-tolerance policy for inaction to prevent, respond to and follow up on alleged cases of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH). For this reason, we adhere to all policies, procedures and training of the United Nations on The Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH). CANADEM mandates all deployees successfully complete the PSEA online course. This e-learning course is composed of a set of lessons designed to raise awareness about SEAH, become familiar with a range of measures to combat SEAH, understand the impact on victims and the consequences for UN Personnel who commit Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment
Receiving Agency: UNHCR
P Level: P3
Location: Farchana, Chad
Duration: 3 months
Language: Fluency in French and English required
Operational Context
Chad is facing multiple conflicts in the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, Western Darfur, and the Central African Republic, creating a complex and challenging situation for the country.Despite these ongoing challenges, Chad has always been a place of refuge and provides sanctuary for those in need. It is one of the top 10 refugee-hosting countries globally and the largest in Africa.
As of now, Chad is providing shelter for 1,728,901 displaced individuals, including Sudanese, Central Africans, Nigerians, and Cameroonians, as well as internally displaced persons and returnees. Most of these individuals are living in 27 camps and sites, some of which have been established since 2003.
The recent influx of over 646,796 refugees from Sudan has further strained the already burdened local environment in Eastern Chad with 58% of women and 48% of men. The situation in Sudan remains tense, leading to more refugees fleeing to Chad, particularly from the Darfur region. UNHCR expects more arrivals in the coming weeks and is preparing to respond effectively to this new influx. The new arrivals are in urgent need of protection, including child protection, prevention, and response to gender-based violence, psychosocial support, education, water and sanitation, food, shelter, healthcare, and basic household items.
Refugees, many of whom are women and children, are living in makeshift accommodations under trees with limited access to clean water and facilities. Their food supplies are running low, and both children and parents require psychosocial support.
Local authorities have requested UNHCR's assistance in relocating new arrivals from villages near the borders to established camps, to provide them with better living conditions.
UNHCR takes a comprehensive approach to addressing the refugee crisis, working on two fronts. Firstly, the emergency response efforts at the border, offering crucial services such as protection, food, water, medical care, and temporary shelter. This includes measures to protect the most vulnerable refugees, such as unaccompanied children, the elderly, and pregnant women. Secondly, UNHCR focuses on the relocation and assistance of refugees in camps. This involves the establishment of new camps to accommodate incoming refugees, as well as improving existing ones. Refugees in these camps will have access to a range of essential services, including shelter, basic relief items, and medical care. The aim is to ensure that all refugees receive the support they need to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.
In this regard five new camps were installed and the extension of 8 old camps were made to ensure refugees are safely installed. Participatory assessments that have been conducted since the influx have helped to identify the increased protection risks faced by women and girls and the population in general. These exercises have allowed discussions with the refugees to collect their needs, present the various available services, including complaint and feedback mechanisms, and, above all, promote the community-based approach to protection.
The existing hotline in N’Djamena has been made national, allowing refugees across the operation to call and receive referrals to different aid intervention sectors according to their needs. In the East several information and feedback centers have been set up. UNHCR continues to strengthen communication and feedback mechanisms to ensure that all individuals under its mandate are considered, regardless of their age, diversity, or gender.
Aim of the Mission
To support the operation to strengthen communication and engagement to the affected populations and ensure that robust mechanisms for feedback and response (F&R) (including confidential/sensitive concerns) are in place, building a solid foundation for a structured approach to sustainable, inclusive community engagement and feedback and response.MISSION OBJECTIVES
- Facilitate coordination and collaboration among humanitarian actors to ensure a unified approach to accountability and community engagement. Lead and actively participate in AAP coordination forums to ensure that all partners involved in the response are aligned and work collaboratively and foster relationships among humanitarian actors, government agencies, and local stakeholders to create a unified approach toward accountability.
- Reinforce the capacity of UNHCR staff, implementing partners, and other stakeholders in AAP principles and practices by conducting training sessions and workshops for partners on community engagement, accountability principles, and effective feedback handling.
- Improve existing feedback systems by eensuring that feedback mechanisms are inclusive, user-friendly, and available in local languages and closing the feedback loop by responding to the communities on how their inputs have been considered in program adjustments or decisions.
Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Community-Based Protection Officer, the Protection Officer (AAP)/SBP will:
- Develop a contextualized methodology for Information and Communication needs assessment in AoR with UNHCR staff, partners and – as feasible – community representatives; ensuring an AGD lens to identify needs of diverse groups.
- Supervise the process of collecting, processing, referencing complaints and coordinate their feedback with the partners involved and ensuring the implementation of assistance and protection activities in developed and spontaneous sites and involve community representatives/participants.
- Organize interactive meetings with community structures to respond to collective complaints from refugees, involving all partners implementing activities in the different sectors of the Humanitarian response for refugees.
- Implement first phase of plan of action to ensure a more structured approach to community engagement and response – leveraging multiple and inclusive channels that may include inter alia: community outreach volunteers.
- Development of clear FR SOPs – incorporating roles, responsibilities, and referrals between partners and UNHCR.
- AAP Capacity building with UNHCR Staff and partners – including on the establishment of confidential FR mechanisms.
- Build/strengthen interagency coordination mechanisms of AAP.
- Document lessons learnt and best practices to support continuous improvement in accountability processes across the AoR.
PROFILE
Experience
- Strong understanding of AAP principles, protection, community feedback mechanisms, humanitarian coordination, or related fields, preferably in an emergency or displacement context. Experience with data collection and analysis tools is a plus.
- Good understanding of the link between the key elements of accountability (Inform, Consider and Account) with the key elements of protection mainstreaming (safety, dignity, Do No Harm, meaningful access to humanitarian services and participation and empowerment).
- Experience in conducting research on information and communication needs among diverse groups - applying an AGD lens.
- Experience in establishing/strengthening community engagement with the people we serve through a range of communication channels.
- Experience developing robust SOPs to guide FR mechanism.
- Proficiency in French is required and knowledge in another UN language (Arabic, English etc) or the local language is an asset.
Essential requirements
- Demonstrable AAP experience.
- Strong coordination skills.
- Strong analytic and problem-solving skills.
Personal Characteristics
- Adaptable, creative, and willing to learn.
- A team player with an emphasis on collaborative and participatory processes.
- Good communication and advocacy skills.
- Self-motivated with proactive attitude
CANADEM and its partners have a no-tolerance policy for inaction to prevent, respond to and follow up on alleged cases of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH). For this reason, we adhere to all policies, procedures and training of the United Nations on The Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH). CANADEM mandates all deployees successfully complete the PSEA online course. This e-learning course is composed of a set of lessons designed to raise awareness about SEAH, become familiar with a range of measures to combat SEAH, understand the impact on victims and the consequences for UN Personnel who commit Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment