Everyday Life in Humanitarian Operations: Seconded Staff reports

On November 16, this year’s second contingent meeting of ZIF secondees in humanitarian operations took place. The meeting was attended by ten (out of currently twelve) secondees, representatives of the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO) and colleagues of ZIF. The experiences of the secondees in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Palestine, the Central African Republic, Sri Lanka and the Philippines were the focus of the meeting.

They reported on complex humanitarian crises, some of them long-standing, that have worsened due to climate change, resource scarcity and security threats. The GFFO  underscored that global humanitarian aid faces major challenges due to the war in Ukraine, the floods in Pakistan and the drought in the Horn of Africa, among other crises. The common denominator was that coordination and flexible adaptation of interventions to local conditions are important to support the affected populations. For the experts, who are usually on the ground for only six months, it is a particular challenge to familiarize themselves with the project in a short time, apply targeted expertise, establish processes and support coordination measures. The Deputy Director of ZIF, Dr. Rexane Rasmussen as well as the colleagues from the GFFO, thanked the secondees for their commitment.

Between 2019 and 2022, ZIF has seconded 28 experts to humanitarian operations of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), the World Food Programme (WFP), the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the World Health Organization (WHO). ZIF maintains secondment agreements with these UN partner organizations within the framework of the Standby Partnership Network.