Emergency WASH Officer - Support , South Sudan

International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs.

Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, International Medical Corps is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in underserved communities worldwide. By offering training and health care to local populations and medical assistance to people at highest risk, and with the flexibility for rapid response to emergencies. International Medical Corps rehabilitates devastated health care systems and helps bring them back to self-reliance.

PROGRAM BACKGROUND The influx of refugees into South Sudan since the start of 2012 has continued to rise dramatically as conflict and hunger in Sudan’s Blue Nile State drive record numbers across the border into South Sudan. The highest numbers have been recorded in Upper Nile State; latest UNHCR estimates indicate more than 110,000 refugees are in Maban County alone. In the past three weeks, 35,000 refugees have crossed the border via the El-Fuj border point (10 kilometers from the border) after walking for days with little access to food or water. UNHCR estimates 20,000-50,000 more refugees will be crossing the border in June.

The majority of the refugees (2,000 arrivals/per day) arriving from the El-Fuj border point have been in poor physical condition after walking for days with limited access to food or water. They are reported as having had to consume leaves and insects during an average 15-day trek to the border. There have been seven confirmed deaths at the site in the past two weeks, five of which occurred on June 8 due to severe dehydration upon arrival at the camp. UNHCR plans to relocate 2,000 refugees a day from Hofra and Kilometer 18 to Yusuf Batil. By the end of June, Batil is projected to host an additional 30,000.

The relocation of refugees to Batil will swiftly overwhelm the limited existing health and sanitation coverage at the camp. International Medical Corps has therefore been requested to urgently intervene in order to rapidly scale up health and nutrition capacity, including hygiene promotion to cover rapidly increasing needs. The diminishing water levels within all the Maban camps, poor hygiene standards and cross-contamination of water sources after the start of the rainy season have also significantly increased the risk of cholera and other communicable disease outbreaks.

JOB SUMMARY The WASH Officer’s main tasks lie in the assessment, analysis and prioritization of urgent WASH response needs, the designing, implementation and coordination of emergency WASH interventions, and the training of local staff and stakeholders in WASH related topics.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 1. Assessment • Provide water, sanitation and hygiene sectoral leadership and expertise in relevant needs assessments and analysis. • Conduct initial rapid assessment of current situation in collaboration with health workers and affected population; determine priorities and immediate activities and resources. • Represent International Medical Corps to stakeholders and Governmental and non-Governmental agencies • Assess in-country resources and capacities (human, material and financial) for response with relevant staff and agencies.

1. Programme Design • Define aims and objectives of the overall WASH response programme. • Design an appropriate overall response to the current emergency, taking into account the needs of the community; the current levels of capacity and cooperation within the Health structures; and eventual expanding of current programs. • Select and design water systems including source selection (ground water, surface water), abstraction, storage, treatment and distribution for new systems and/or the rehabilitation of old systems. • Select and design the most appropriate form of sanitation system (to include excreta disposal, vector control, solid waste disposal, drainage) taking full account of local conditions, resources, customs and cultural norms. • Select and design, in collaboration with other actors a suitable hygiene promotion strategy • Ensure that issues of protection, gender, livelihoods, DRR and environmental impact, operation and maintenance and sustainability are factored into the programme design. • Ensure Sphere standards both qualitative and quantitative are considered and any departures documented. • Develop letters of intent, concept papers, budgets and proposals in respect of the above.

2. Response Management and Implementation • Plan and manage WASH programme in a phased and prioritised manner with full consultation and co-ordination with International Medical Corps’ staff and other agencies both governmental and non-governmental. • Ensure gender is fully considered throughout the project cycle with women being enabled to influence decision- making around WASH issues. • Organize with the logistics and finance departments materials and support needed for all activities. • Build a team that has the capacity to respond to the emergency, and assist in hiring as needed. • Contribute to ensuring that the response is fully funded by external donors, and manage (HR, financial, implementation) all aspects of emergency WASH interventions. • Design and develop appropriate supervisory, monitoring and evaluation systems for WASH interventions.

3. Information and Co-ordination • Provide regular updates to supervisor and team on progress, priorities and constraints – verbally and in writing. • Represent International Medical Corps to governmental and non-governmental groups as needed and agreed with the supervisor • Represent International Medical Corps in WASH and relevant emergency related Cluster activities.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree (emphasis in Water/Public Health/Sanitation) • 5+ years of relevant work experience (minimum of 3 years in humanitarian situations; camp settings a plus) • Experience in emergency response, including rapid assessments and needs analysis • Experience in hygiene promotion in humanitarian contexts • Ability to work in extreme weather conditions • Profound cross-cultural awareness and sound knowledge of public health issues • Ability to exercise sound judgment and make decisions independently • Extremely flexible, and have the ability to cope with stressful situations and frustrations • Ability to relate to and motivate local staff effectively • Creativity and the ability to work with limited resources • Sense of humor • Fluency in English (both oral and written skills)

LANGUAGES • Ability to speak Arabic preferred.

How to apply:

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
To officially begin the application process, please visit our website at http://careers.internationalmedicalcorps.org/careers.aspx And complete the online employment application form.