Emergency Coordinator Assistant – Near East

The 2011 Syrian uprising began on March, 15th 2011 with public demonstrations as part of the wider Arab Spring and developed into a nationwide uprising and a civil war in 2012. Protesters have demanded the end to nearly five decades of Ba’ath Party rule, as well as the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad. In the spring of 2011, the Syrian government deployed the Syrian Army to quell the uprising. Several cities have been besieged, and soldiers were reportedly ordered to open fire on civilians. But up to now the crackdown failed to stop the unrest, instead triggering anti-government protests in other towns and cities across the country. Some civilians and army defectors began forming fighting units and unified under the banner of the Free Syrian Army, fighting in an increasingly organized fashion; however, the opposition is still divided and lacks of organized leadership. The Syrian government characterizes the insurgency as armed terrorist groups and foreign fighters bent on destabilizing the country. The violence in Syria has caused around 1.2 million of people to flee their homes and to seek refuge in other part of the country (HCR). In addition, according the last toll of the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, more than 26,000 people were killed since the beginning of the uprising in Syria in March 2011.   The humanitarian situation of the population inside Syria appears to be catastrophic, and the population has immediate needs for health services to treat the wounded, food and non-food items. Host communities are seeing their resources progressively exhausted by the double burden of a degraded economy and their efforts to support the displaced. Scarcity of resources has added to the exasperation, and daily reports of exactions further fuel tensions. In parallel to the emergency response in the hot-spots, the support to host communities and displaced people has become essential in avoiding widespread desperation of a population. However, with little access to the field and significant constraints for humanitarian actors to operate in the country (difficulties in obtaining visas, ban on using questionnaires or organizing surveys, restrictions on coordination), assessing the needs has always been a major challenge in Syria. Finally, the situation does not allow humanitarian actors that were not inSyriabefore the unrest to intervene and tackle the needs withinSyria. Additionally, the violence inSyriahas caused the displacement of civilians fleeing from violence in the neighbouring countries ofLebanon,Jordan,TurkeyandIraq. On August 24, 2012, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that the number of Syrian refugees had reached over 200,000, exceeding the UNHCR estimate of 185,000 for the entire year. Turkeyhas seen the largest influx of refugees since the conflict began, butLebanonandJordanhave also seen significant numbers. 21,744 individuals are reported UNHCR-registered in Irak, 49,236 in Jordan (additional 9,854 people have registration appointments and 26,373 people are awaiting registration in the Zaatri Refugee Camp), 46,628 in Lebanon (additional 18,811 Syrians have been in contact with UNHCR to be registered) and 78,431 in Turkey. UN agencies and NGOs, in close cooperation with respective host Government, have been working together since March 2011 to respond to the protection and humanitarian assistance needs of those crossing from theSyrianArabRepublicinto neighbouring countries.   In a very volatile and complex context, HI has carried out a detailed on-the-ground assessment of the situation in Lebanon and Jordan in March-April 2012. Following the recommendations of this assessment mission, the HI Emergency Response department launched a regional emergency intervention for the most vulnerable people affected by the Syrian crisis, which started beginning of May both in north Jordan and Lebanon. In the current context, the main objective is to alleviate suffering of vulnerable people affected by the Syrian crisis and support their coping mechanisms as soon as possible. HI intervention is conducted following 2 main axes:   1 - Ensure that refugees with injuries (or sequel of injuries) have access to essential rehabilitation and complementary services and therefore avoid developing further impairments and vulnerabilities, both at secondary level- Tripoli and northern Jordan- and community level -Bekaa Valley in Lebanon and northern Jordan.   2 – Ensure that the most vulnerable people affected by the Syrian crisis and their families see their vulnerability reduced and are better able to cope with the situation through the better coverage of their basic and specific needs (directly or through referrals/channeling) -Bekaa Valley in Lebanon and northern Jordan.     In the other hand, HI is willing to support national actors, providing assistance, therefore ensuring a coherent continuum of care, particularly by: Providing support to in and out patients rehabilitation wards of the new emergency rehabilitation centre, Supporting the provision of complete rehabilitation services in the centre, including rehabilitation sessions, P&O and other assistive devices when needed, etc. Supporting the provision of psychological care to patients in the centre. Under the responsibility of the Emergency coordinator (EC) you will be responsible for: Context monitoring  of the Emergency Response Department intervention in the country: follow up the situation, gather information, build and maintain a strong and impartial networking, attend security meetings if relevant, suggests updates and recommendation (in close relationship with the EC); Under delegation of the EC, representation of HI towards authorities and partners in projects, administrative and logistics aspects; Participation in coordination meetings concerning context, projects, administrative and logistics aspects; Monthly  reporting; Coordinate with the team to centralize the Weekly Situation Report.