The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. We are the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

A year since the conflict in Tigray broke out, the region continues to face a serious humanitarian crisis. About 1.8M people are reported as displaced (IOM, December 10th, 2021) – with newly reported displacement linked to recent active conflict in the Western zone and bordering areas of Afar and Amhara regions and to tensions in some of the Northern border locations with Eritrea. Despite the cessation of active conflict within most of the region since July 2021, its continued isolation from the rest of the country is resulting in shortage of food and non-food supplies, including critical medicines and medical supplies. A lack of communications, functional banking system and loss of employment means that regional government institutions, organizing structures and services have also not gained full functionality. These factors hamper the overall economic, social and market systems thus aggravating and compounding the dire food and nutrition situation in the region.

Against this backdrop, the delivery of humanitarian assistance to an estimated 5.2M people in need remains severely constrained. According to OCHA (December 9, 2021), only 13% of the required humanitarian supplies have been delivered to the region in a period of 6 months ie July-December 2021, while lack of fuel is hindering the provision of basic services, including health & nutrition, water, and sanitation, electricity interruption, limited transportation, and limited access to livelihoods and markets.

A missed planting season (May/July 2021) for most, combined with high costs of food due to non-functional markets and low affordability also mean majority of the population do not have access to age appropriate diverse and nutritious diets. This dire food security situation combined with disrupted health, nutrition, and WASH services, has increased the risk of malnutrition, especially for children under five years of age and pregnant and lactating women (PLW). MUAC screening data reported by the nutrition cluster (November, 2021) and from WFP’s supported nutrition interventions shows acute malnutrition among children is above 15%, while on average, 60% of screened mothers are found to be acutely malnourished.

WFP is supporting the implementation of the Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programme (TSFP) and the Blanket Supplementary Feeding Programme (BSFP) as key nutrition specific programmes, with an aim of contributing to the treatment and prevention of acute malnutrition among children below five years and pregnant and lactating women (PLW) in Tigray region. Since February, the interventions have reached 874,000 children and mothers (target:1.4M) across 71 woredas. The interventions are delivered through NGO cooperating partners, supported by WFP operational teams: one each based in Mekelle SO and Shire FO. WFP also w orks in partnership with other nutrition stakeholders including, the regional health bureau (RHB), UNICEF and WHO and NGOs within the various cluster mechanisms.

The scope of WFP’s Tigray nutrition emergency response is such that a nutrition coordinator is needed to provide overall leadership and oversight to the nutrition response. The nutrition coordinator’s roles will encompass four broad areas: Participation in nutrition response design and planning of required resources – including proposing/recommending improvements (when needed); Supervision and coordination of team members to maintain the nutrition action plan on track; Ensuring and monitoring the implementation of WFP and national nutrition policies and guidelines across the response; and Representing WFP nutrition to both internal (WFP units) and external stakeholders, including managing communication related to the nutrition response.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not All-inclusive)

• Work with the AO head of programme, CO nutrition unit to contribute to Tigray nutrition response design and planning
• Represent WFP in regional nutrition meetings and initiatives to contribute to strategic and technical discussions, communicate information on WFP interventions, exchange experiences, advocate for nutrition interventions and identify areas of potential collaboration.
• Liaise with internal units (monitoring, resource mobilisation, supply chain, Ops, PI, etc..) to ensure effective support to the implementation and monitoring/evaluation of the nutrition response
• Provide operational oversight and technical support and guidance to the nutrition team to ensure efficient and effective nutrition response
• Manage the nutrition team, supporting individual work planning, mentoring, and coaching as required to enhance performance
• Strategically engage UNICEF and the regional government to identify areas for potential collaboration and overall strengthening the Tigray emergency nutrition response
• Support the timely and accurate communication of nutrition information to meet the various reporting requirements
• Support the monitoring and evaluation of WFP activities, provide technical analysis, and interpretation, and develop new indicators and guidance.
• Perform other duties as required.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT

A comprehensive report of the overall programme implementation outlining successes, challenges and lessons learnt.

Standard Minimum Qualifications

Education: Advanced University degree in Public Health Nutrition, Nutrition, Food Technology, Medicine, or another relevant field.

Experience: A minimum of 8 years of experience in design for nutrition specific (IMAM/CMAM, BSFP) and nutrition sensitive programs/nutrition prevention programming or approaches (direct or with national governments).

• Experience building strategic partnerships with multiple stakeholders to raise awareness on nutrition related issues.
• Experience managing multi-functional teams
• Experience working in emergencies and development context in multiple countries
• Experience working with the UN is an added advantage.

Knowledge & Skills

• Knowledge of global nutrition and global humanitarian architecture including the cluster approach.
  • Conceptual knowledge of public health and nutrition in emergencies.
  • Skills in nutrition situation analysis and evidence assessment
  • Good communication and interpersonal skills capable of maintaining strong relationships
  • Team management and leadership skills
  • Good organisational and multi-tasking skills
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities
  • Able to work and meet deadlines under stress Excellent written and oral communication skills.
  • Microsoft Proficient.

Languages: Fluency in both oral and written communication in English.