The Libya Education Response Monitoring Dashboard documents that some 326,000 people in Libya are in need of education support. UNICEF works to ensure access to safe, inclusive and quality education, particularly for children affected by the protracted crisis. In strengthening support to humanitarian coordination among education actors in the country, UNICEF has a special focus on engaging with community-based organizations and the Ministry of Education.

The National Youth Volunteering Platform will establish a structured volunteering programme for the first time in Iraq. This platform will give young people a chance to register, search and apply for volunteer activities, in line with their skills and interests. Opportunities will be provided by various partners and organizations, including private companies, non-governmental organizations and institutions.

Just like the rest of the world, the battle against the pandemic is still ongoing in Tunisia. The Coronavirus has been an opportunity to learn more about the potential of volunteering, and what volunteers, who were among the first responders, can do in a health crisis context. They have been yielding impactful results and supporting with different components of pandemic preparedness and response. 

IVD this year coincided with the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme. Country volunteer awards were organized on the occasion in several countries, including in Egypt, Jordan and Tunisia. Another highlight of IVD 2021 in the Arab States included the launch of Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II Award for Voluntary Service by HRH Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan.

I came to Jordan to support the Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) response, as part of the national campaign to eliminate the COVID-19 virus. The main role of UNICEF in the campaign is to build the capacities of the government to respond to COVID-19.

This group of UN Volunteers (six women and nine men) was part of a team comprising one thousand personnel during the peak period of the elections – described as "the biggest electoral assistance mission in the history of UN’s practice worldwide," according to Dr Aamir Arain, Director of UNAMI Electoral Assistance and UN Principal Electoral Advisor. However, these volunteers "were a significant part of this undertaking, serving in both substantive, technical and administrative aspects of the complex electoral assistance programme," adds Dr Arain.

Dalila is assigned to Remada, one of Tunisia’s southernmost towns near the borders with Libya. To her, serving as the sole representative of the only UN entity working in this remote area has been both a challenge and a privilege. Remada has long been left behind due to lacking development efforts. It witnesses recurrent protests denouncing the deteriorating economic situation and the limited access to opportunities, with unemployment rate reaching 33 per cent in 2020,  according to the Municipality of Remada.

Having experienced discrimination herself, Chavia has always felt the need to dedicate herself to tackling challenges faced by persons with disabilities. For as long as she can remember, volunteering has always been her passion. During her university years at Aleppo University, Syria, Chavia founded an advocacy organization for persons with disabilities. "At the time, I was fortunate enough to have my father’s support, so I was able to fully dedicate myself to improving the everyday lives of persons with disabilities in my home country," she recalls. 

Nathalie Nuwayhed is one of 15 national UN Youth Volunteers serving with ESCWA. She is deployed as a Team Assistant with the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) in Beirut. The department is tasked with the security of UN premises, staff, and activities, and has been undertaking activities to increase the representation of women in its workforce. Nathalie’s has been engaging in outreach for new recruitments, resulting in a seven per cent increase of women in the department.

This year, thirty UN Volunteers have been deployed in support of WFP operations in the Arab States. Of these, 23 have served in Lebanon, taking up roles in monitoring and evaluation, risk assessment, nutrition, public information and programme support. UN Volunteer Jad Bayram is an Operational Information Management and Performance Reporting Officer.  He contributes to knowledge products, including situation reports, country briefs, fact sheets and annual reports.