UN Volunteer with UNICEF works with drones on emergency flood response in Malawi

International Volunteer Day 2017
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Working in Malawi has always been exciting. As a student in conflict and development, I came to the country to conduct research on street vendors and organizational structures in the markets. Three years later, I find myself working with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, as part of UNICEF’s emergency flood response.

Malawi has limited road access to rural areas, and after a flash flood earth roads can turn to rivers, completely cutting off affected communities. Using drones, we fly over the affected area and see clearly what the impact has been on the ground, using this information to inform the disaster response.

The Disaster Coordinator, Blessings, called the crisis team together to discuss the assessment mission, the benefits of drones and how they can assist in coordinating the response.

UN Volunteers inspect aid convoys going from Turkey into Syria

International Volunteer Day 2017
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Five international UN Volunteers work closely with local customs officials in Gaziantep, Turkey, to conduct visual and physical inspections of United Nations cargos going into Syria.

Since cross-border operations started in July 2014, aid materials sent by UN organizations arrive at UN bases in Turkey, where materials are moved from Turkish international road transports (TIRs) to Syrian TIRs.

Later, TIRs cross into Syria as aid convoys under the supervision of the UN. The aid is then distributed by the UN's local partners in Syria. The whole operation is coordinated by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA).

UN Volunteers help rebuild communities affected by earthquake in Ecuador

International Volunteer Day 2017
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After the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Ecuador in April 2016, affecting the lives of around 720,000 people and with almost 30,000 people having to seek refuge in temporary camps, UNV supported the work of UN agencies with the rapid mobilization of 29 national and three international UN Volunteers who worked on emergency response, most of them in the areas directly affected by the earthquake.

Within the first three weeks after the earthquake, UNV mobilized five UN Volunteers to immediately support the work of UN agencies after the earthquake. The rest of UN Volunteers were deployed during the three months after the disaster. They all worked directly with the communities and the people who suffered the devastation of the earthquake, focusing mainly on reaching families, especially women and children who lost not only their homes but also their livelihoods, helping build their capacity and supporting strategies for economic empowerment.

Volunteers help rebuild communities affected by the earthquake in Nepal

International Volunteer Day 2017
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In the wake of the 2015 Nepal Earthquake, UNV partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to swiftly mobilize a total of 107 UN Volunteers who served in earthquake-affected sites to perform critical functions and deliver services to the victims.

The earthquake, which hit Nepal on 25 April 2015 with multiple aftershocks, brought about widespread destruction across the country and resulted in 8,790 deaths, 22,300 injuries and 755,549 houses that were either damaged or completely destroyed. 

In coordination with UNDP experts on demolition, UN Volunteers undertook the structural assessment of public and private buildings damaged by the earthquake, including schools, health posts and monasteries.

UN Volunteers support the electoral process in Burkina Faso

Electoral process in Burkina Faso
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Following the October 2014 protests in Burkina Faso, the Projet d’Appui aux Elections (Electoral Support Project) was developed in 2015 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme. With the aim to help organize free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections, 14 international and 48 national UN Volunteers were deployed throughout the country to support the CENI - Commission électorale nationale indépendante (Independent national electoral commission).

In Korsimoro City, near the capital Ouagadougou, UN Volunteers encourage people’s participation in the elections. Through citizenship awareness sessions, they especially encourage the participation of women in the electoral process.

“Women account for most of the country’s electorate, and therefore play a significant role in the country’s development,” adds Somda Flore, another national UN Volunteer.

Giving hope to vulnerable groups affected by armed conflict in South Sudan

Jackson Kambale Hangi
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Everything started in March 2017 when I accepted an assignment as a Civil Affairs Officer with the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS). News and reports on the dynamics of the conflict in this country heralded my deployment—a number of my friends tried to discourage me from going. Despite their concerns, I was determined to accept the assignment due to the possibility of engaging with communities at the grassroots-level. Serving as a UN Volunteer with UNMISS, I knew, was going to contribute to peace efforts in South Sudan.

The United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) was established in 2011 and since the outbreak of conflict in 2013 its mandate has evolved to include the  protection of civilians the monitoring and investigating of human rights abuses, support to the South Sudanese–led peace process and support for the delivery of vital humanitarian assistance. Some 440 UN Volunteers, such as myself, are on location supporting mission objectives and assisting local communities.

Ensuring the protection of populations who are victims of conflicts in North Kivu, DRC

Jeanne Warnet
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Civilian populations in this region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo suffer numerous human rights violations, among the most fundamental being the violation of the right to life, the violation of physical integrity, the violation of the right to freedom and safety, and the right to property. Many people in this region live in very perilous conditions since they are caught in the grip of armed groups.

Since 2015, international UN Volunteer Jeanne Warnet (France) is assigned to the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (double mandate OHCHR and MONUSCO) as a Human Rights Officer with the Goma Field Office, Democratic Republic of Congo. Jeanne obtained this assignment at the age of 30, following her experience in criminal law and the rights of foreigners and asylum seekers.

Restoring hope in Mauritania amidst a cross-border humanitarian crisis

Helena Pes
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Trapped in a conflict, part of the Malian population continues to flee the country to seek refuge in Mauritania. Last spring, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that in eight months, more than 5,400 Malians crossed the border to seek refuge in the Mbera camp in Mauritania, which already houses over 50,000 refugees and asylum seekers. This is the largest influx of refugees from northern Mali since 2013.

Helena Pes (Italy) is an international UN Volunteer serving in the Mbera camp, Mauritania, with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). "The situation in northern Mali remains unstable and in these conditions, influx of refugees is unpredictable," she explains. Since 2012, several populations fled from Northern Mali due to conflict and the fear of oppression. Most of the more than 51,000 refugees in the camp are Touareg, co-habiting with Arab, Fula, and Songhai refugees.

Bringing communities together to rebuild the Central African Republic

Ludovic Brandhot
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Since 2013, the Central African Republic (CAR) has been marked by a violent conflict that has resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, in support of peacebuilding initiatives, deployed 250 UN Volunteers throughout the Central African Republic. 15 are involved in the ARAT project, which contributes to the reconstruction and restoration of the rule of law.

Ludovic Brandhot is a national UN Volunteer serving with the local government in Mbrès, Central African Republic. For more than four years, instability persists in the country. Approximately 60% of the territory remains occupied by armed groups. In the prefecture of Nana-Grébizi, in the heart of the country, clashes between rebel groups in 2016 and March 2017 completely paralyzed the activities in the city. The civilian population was trapped. Today, te humanitarian situation continues to be unbearable.

World Day for Cultural Diversity: Heritage safeguarding is at the heart of peacebuilding

World Day for Cultural Diversity 2017
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On the occasion of World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, we would like to focus on some examples of activities led by Nadia Ammi, a United Nations Volunteer responsible for the cultural component of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). Since the beginning of its peacekeeping operations in 1949, MINUSMA is the only mission to be tasked by the United Nations Security Council with safeguarding cultural heritage.

"Working with MINUSMA has allowed me to deal with many challenges and to learn a lot about the Malian culture. My experience is a commitment to the vision of UN Volunteers which is to be  "l’inspiration en action" . All the work involved with heritage protection had to be invented and developed during the last three years."

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