Mission Specific Considerations

Remote-Based Deployments (if remote-based please only fill in this table)

Considerations for remote-based deployments
If the deployment is remote-based, is the country office set up to ensure ongoing communication / team integration and appropriate supervision with the deployee from afar? Please explain.	N/A

Physical deployments (only fill out if you anticipate surge to physically deploy)

Pre-departure considerations for physical deployments
Does this duty station require candidates to have undertaken SSAFE training? If so, can the office provide training upon arrival?	Yes – SSAFE Training is required.
Visa Are there any special/new, specific visa considerations that need to be considered?	Entry to Gaza is via Jordan, hence Jordan Visa is required.
Equipment Is there any equipment that the Surge should become equipped with prior to travel, e.g. PPE such as masks, gloves, sanitizer, etc?	No
Is there any other paperwork that the local government authorities require upon entry/re-entry into the country?	UNFPA Palestine Country Office will manage the paperwork.
On mission considerations (for physical deployments):
Accommodation What type of accommodation is available for Surge deployees?	UN staff accommodation, bedroom with shared bathroom and kitchen.
R&R Is the duty station on an R&R cycle and if so how often?	Yes. Every 4 weeks.
Medical Treatment Are there any government restrictions or limitations that would adversely impact in-country medical treatment plans or medical evacuation?	Yes – health facilities are virtually non-functional, deployee should not anticipate any medical treatment being available in Gaza. Suggested to carry personal medicines one may have been using.
Office arrangement for telecommuting If the Surge needs to telecommute within the country, can the country office demonstrate that the deployee is realistically able to work in terms of remote connectivity, equipment, etc.?	N/A

The ceasefire announced on 3 October 2025 has provided a temporary halt to active hostilities and allowed an increase in the volume and type of supplies entering Gaza. However, the underlying humanitarian conditions remain catastrophic. Severe shortages persist, infrastructure is largely destroyed, and vast segments of the population remain displaced, traumatised, and unable to meet basic needs. Within this context, risks of gender-based violence continue to rise sharply.

Gender-based violence (GBV) risks continue to escalate across Gaza. The combined impact of mass displacement, extreme overcrowding, the loss of privacy, and the absence of functioning community protection systems has resulted in a marked increase in multiple forms of GBV. Intimate partner violence is rising as economic stress, instability, and prolonged confinement strain households. Women and adolescent girls face widespread denial of resources and economic violence as access to income, food, and essential supplies remains extremely limited.

Child marriage is increasing as families resort to harmful coping mechanisms in response to insecurity and financial desperation. Reports of survival sex reflect the depth of deprivation, and the barriers women and girls face in safely accessing food, water, and basic items. Access to GBV response services remains severely constrained. The destruction of women- and girl-focused safe spaces, continuous displacement, and movement restrictions have significantly reduced the availability of confidential, survivor-centred services. Many women and girls cannot safely travel to remaining service points. While remote case management continues, connectivity, privacy, and security limitations impede effective support.

GBV response providers are overstretched and operating under extreme pressure. Caseworkers and frontline responders are managing caseloads far higher than pre-October 2023 levels, with cases increasingly complex due to intersecting risks such as family separation, loss of documentation, mental health distress, and lack of safe shelter. Many GBV staff are themselves displaced, coping with trauma, and experiencing repeated interruptions to their work. Burnout and attrition are increasing, further reducing service capacity.

Critical GBV referral pathways continue to be disrupted. Damaged health facilities, limited availability of clinical care for survivors, lack of transport, and the fluid movement of displaced populations have weakened the multi-sectoral response. Maintaining up-to-date referral pathways is challenging, resulting in delays or complete barriers for survivors needing specialised services. Main Tasks and Responsibilities
Under the overall direction of the UNFPA Representative for Palestine and direct supervision of the Head of Gaza office, the GBV Coordination Specialist will contribute to efforts toward strengthening preparedness, risk analysis, and risk reduction in programming and provides technical inputs towards the development of guidance and support to emergency response. S/He will lead the coordination of the GBV SC. S/He will be expected to produce evidence-based analysis for the delivery of integrated technical advisory services on Gender Based Violence in emergencies. The incumbent advances knowledge management for quality programming standards, tools, and technical briefs, including for emerging humanitarian issues. S/He supports the expansion of partnerships with humanitarian-related networks and technical working groups. S/he works in close collaboration with other work streams in the CO, other entities within UNFPA and with external partners.
These activities will include the following:

1. Coordination:

• Coordinate the GBV SC in Gaza, ensuring the achievement of the agreed products with its members in the AWP.
• Represent GBV SC in meetings of the Protection Cluster and in meetings conducted by OCHA, as well as in other relevant meetings, including those convened by the HCT.
• Coordinate and collaborate with other Clusters such as health, food security, education, nutrition, shelter and others, to ensure the integration of GBV-related action in their sector plans and to advocate for joint awareness.
• Support the updating of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) (if the ceasefire holds and the situation allows).
• Work with GBV SC members to develop an inter-institutional capacity development strategy in GBV.
• Provide technical support and information for the development of advocacy documents and relevant policies to address the GBV in humanitarian context.
• Foster and guide strategic alliances and partnerships for visible and sustainable integration of issues relating to UNFPA mandate in humanitarian and fragile settings and to leverage maximum mainstreaming effects;

 

2. Technical support and capacity building
   • Support efforts for identifying and analyzing trends, threats, risks, and emerging needs as well as opportunities and possible partnerships, to timely alert and contribute to preparedness, emergency response and other humanitarian strategies and programming in humanitarian settings that require high level of flexibility.
   • Contribute to the provision of technical support to programmes in emergencies and as required and needed other humanitarian settings specifically coach and support partners to strengthen adherence to the GBViE Minimum Standards;
   • Provide technical inputs to GBV SC members during the development of new or update of policies, positioning frameworks, guidance, standards, instruments, and tools.
   • Contribute to training and capacity development activities specific to GBViE at coordination, programme, and quality of care level;
   • Establish strong linkages between SRHR and GBV with regard to the health sector response for survivors of sexual violence.
   • Support risk-informed and resilience-driven programming;

 

3. Operations
   • Initiate and coordinate training and mentoring sessions on GBV in emergencies, including clinical management of rape etc.

 

4. Evidence and knowledge development, management, and dissemination
   • Monitor global emergencies knowledge platforms.
   • Facilitate access to databases on best practices, and partnerships in the humanitarian sphere.
   • Collect, analyze, and synthesize research findings, data, information, and experiences for formulating programme priorities.
   • Contribute to the revision, update, generation, and dissemination of GBV humanitarian briefing notes, guidance, tools, talking points and advocacy material;
   • Provide evidence-based analysis for addressing programme delivery bottlenecks in emergencies.
   • Provide and facilitate evidence-based knowledge-sharing of regional and national experiences in emergencies;
   • Support the development and dissemination of humanitarian GBV field experience and lessons learned short publications for internal and external audiences.
   • Support initiatives to raise the profile of GBV as a critical and life-saving area of intervention in emergencies and to enhance accountability, especially with humanitarian leadership
   • Support UNFPA's participation in technical networks at global and regional levels, including maintaining communication and feedback loops on all substantive work related to GBViE.

Any other duties:

• Performs any other duties as may be directed by the Representative, Deputy Representative and Heads of Gaza Office..

Qualifications and Skills Required

• 5 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in humanitarian programming in the field, including direct field experience in GBV in emergencies.
• Experience in GBV AOR / sub cluster / working group coordination required.
• Minimum 5 years of field experience working in a fluctuating context required. 
• Familiarity with IASC and other humanitarian coordination mechanisms, guiding principles and standards.
• Experience in programme development and management and reporting
• Excellent interpersonal skills, creativity, strong project management skills, a positive and outgoing personality, and ability to interact successfully with people of different backgrounds and cultures
• Languages: Fluency in English is required. Arabic language would be an added advantage.