WASH Facilitator

The severe water supply challenges in Taiz, stemming from ongoing conflict, political fragmentation, and weakened governance, have made access to water a major source of tension between communities and authorities. The suspension of water provision from key well fields close to the conflict frontline has exacerbated humanitarian needs. Restoring water access is therefore not only a critical humanitarian imperative but also a vital peacebuilding necessity, as it directly addresses a key driver of local conflict. This intervention promotes conflict-sensitive water management, aiming to strengthen essential cross-line collaboration and establish a foundation for sustained cooperation through the inclusive engagement of Local Water and Sanitation Corporations (LWSCs) and relevant authorities across the divided city.

The Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF) has granted a proposal in WASH for peace that strongly aligns with the HRP 2025, which prioritizes life-saving WASH interventions to address acute needs, significantly reduce the spread of waterborne diseases like cholera and malaria, and mitigate protection risks for highly vulnerable populations, including women, girls, IDPs, the Muhamasheen, and migrants. By re-establishing crucial water connectivity between the northern and southern parts of Taiz, a city significantly impacted by years of conflict, and by actively supporting coordinated and equitable water governance structures, this proposal will provide immediate and essential humanitarian relief while simultaneously fostering social cohesion and contributing to resilience and long-term recovery in one of Yemen’s most conflict-affected regions.

To address these pressing challenges, this proposal targets Priority 1 interventions by reconnecting the Al-Hyma and Habir well fields, historically significant water sources for the entire city, to substantially improve water accessibility for residents on both sides. The essential scope of work for this initial phase includes the urgent restoration of water pumping systems, the critical rehabilitation and construction of damaged water distribution networks, and limited, yet vital, repairs to collapsed sewage infrastructure to mitigate public health risks.

Plans include engaging a facilitator/civil engineer contracted through a third-party Human Resources hiring company. The facilitator will play a key coordination role between local authorities inside Taiz (IRG) and Al Hawban (DFA) for smooth implementation of the two projects and technical support to planning and implementation of the WASH for peace initiative. The facilitator will report directly to the WASH Section Chief and support coordination with local stakeholders. They will also monitor and report ongoing project activities, conduct rapid situational and technical assessments, and coordinate with staff in both Field Offices (Ibb and Taiz) to implement or follow up on corrective actions. Additionally, they will contribute to reporting on the soft components of the projects, such as community impact and sustainability mechanisms. This role is critical in maintaining continuous monitoring—especially when staff movement is restricted—and in fostering inclusive, conflict-sensitive collaboration among all WASH actors in Taiz.

Project Monitoring and Supervision

• Conduct strategic field missions to monitor and assess broader WASH interventions across Taiz City and Al Hawban, ensuring alignment with national WASH for Peace objectives.

• Ensure adherence to technical standards, timelines, and environmental and social safeguards during project design and implementation, contributing to harmonized approaches across both sides of Taiz.

• Provide oversight and strategic guidance on the project’s implementation, considering the context of the two sides of the city.

Data Collection and Reporting

• Lead strategic data collection efforts to inform national-level WASH for Peace planning, focusing on cross-line water access, infrastructure gaps, and conflict-sensitive service delivery in Taiz.

• Coordinate with WASH partners in Taiz (City and Al Hawban) to harmonize data collection tools and methodologies, ensuring consistency and comparability across regions.

• Support the development of strategic indicators and dashboards that reflect progress toward peacebuilding, resilience, and equitable water governance.

• Ensure the integration of climate resilience and conflict sensitivity in data reporting, including trends in groundwater levels, rainfall, displacement, and disease outbreaks.

High-Level Coordination Responsibilities in Taiz Region

• The WASH facilitator will undertake coordination activities in the Taiz region, assuming the following responsibilities:

• Strengthen and stabilize WASH sector coordination across both sides of Taiz, ensuring inclusive participation and alignment with national WASH for Peace strategies.

• Facilitate technical coordination meetings between the two LWSCs (inside Taiz and Al Hawban), document outcomes, and ensure timely reporting to the Chief of the WASH Section to inform national-level decision-making and donor engagement.

• Support the WASH programme in identifying gaps within the WASH sector in Taiz and recommending corrective actions to improve effectiveness and impact.

• Coordinate the development and implementation of contingency and response plans for high-risk scenarios such as floods, AWD/cholera outbreaks, and displacement.

Strategic Technical Support

• Provide high-level technical advisory support to WASH Cluster partners in the design, review, and implementation of water and sanitation projects, ensuring alignment with national WASH for Peace strategies and standards.

• Lead the technical validation of project documents, including BoQs, engineering designs, and procurement specifications, to ensure consistency, quality, and compliance with environmental and social safeguards.

• Coordinate with implementing partners and local authorities to ensure technical coherence and integration of conflict-sensitive and climate-resilient approaches in WASH infrastructure.

• Support strategic field-level troubleshooting and quality assurance, offering on-site guidance and technical oversight to partners and contractors to ensure adherence to national standards and donor expectations.

• Contribute to the development and dissemination of technical guidelines and tools, supporting capacity building and harmonization across WASH actors in Taiz and beyond.

WASH Section Chief (supported by WASH Specialist & YHF Focal Point)

• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, water resources, environmental engineering, or a related field. A master’s degree in public health, humanitarian coordination, or water governance is highly desirable.

• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in designing, supervising, and managing water and sanitation projects in humanitarian and development contexts.

• Proven experience in cluster coordination, strategic planning, and cross-line collaboration in conflict-affected settings.

• Demonstrated ability to lead multi-stakeholder coordination efforts, including engagement with government entities, UN agencies, and local partners.

• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills to assess complex WASH challenges and propose high-level solutions.

• Excellent communication and negotiation skills to facilitate coordination across divided regions and diverse stakeholders.

• Ability to produce high-quality technical and strategic reports for internal and external audiences, including donors.

• Familiarity with humanitarian architecture, including the Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC), cluster coordination mechanisms, and peacebuilding frameworks.

• Previous experience working in Taiz or similar conflict-affected regions.

• Ability to access and operate across both sides of Taiz Governorate.

• Experience in integrating gender, protection, and inclusion into WASH programming. Key Competencies

• Communication

• Working with People

• Drive for Results

• Relating and Networking

• Persuading and Influencing

• Applying Technical Expertise

• Planning and organizing Years experience

• At least 5 years’ experience in water, sanitation, or hygiene promotion.

• The WASH facilitator will be stationed at Taiz city and AlHawban on Taiz Governorate.

• Fluency in Arabic and English, with strong writing and presentation skills.

This role does not have team management responsibility.

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