Associate Field Officer

The Office of the UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country (www.unhcr.org).

In line with this mandate UNHCR supports the Republic of Uganda in protecting individuals who seeks asylum in the country as well as those in the country at risk of being stateless or who already are considered stateless. UNHCR also provides direct assistance through implementing partners to refugees and asylum seekers in Uganda.
UNHCR puts strong effort into identifying durable solutions for all refugees in Uganda and to reduce the risk of persons in the country becoming stateless.

UNHCR Field Office Moyo reports to Sub Office, Adjumani. It is in Moyo District in northern Uganda and shares a border with South Sudan to the north and east, Adjumani District to the south across the West Nile, and Yumbe District to the west. Moyo District comprised West Moyo and Obongi Counties and has an estimated population of 140,000. Obongi became a District on 1 July 2019. Over 94% of Moyo’s population lives in rural areas and depends on natural resources for their livelihoods. More than 85% of the district’s households mainly depend on substance agriculture as their main economic activity; most agricultural production is for household consumption. Only 9.7% of the population was dependent on earned incomes and 0.4% on property income by 2014 statistic. 99% of the households relies on wood fuel for their domestic energy needs.

Palorinya Refugee Settlement in Obongi District was established in December 2016. It hosts 130,889 refugees verified as of 31 March 2024. The settlement still receives new arrivals from South Sudan. The profile of refugees in Palorinya is characterized by a high proportion of children (56%) and women (26%), and other vulnerable categories of refugees. At-risk children (6%) include orphans, unaccompanied and separated children, teenage mothers, etc. Protection priorities include ensuring access to asylum and documentation; protection from crime and access to justice; registration; child protection; SGBV mainstreaming, prevention and response; protection-based social welfare support to persons with specific needs; and community feedback and referrals. In addition, UNHCR maintains simultaneous protection presence at litigation desks at the four food distribution points in Palorinya, to address and resolve the litigation cases.

UNHCR Field Office Moyo collaborates with the Office of the Prime Minister, Moyo and Obongi District Local Governments incorporating relevant line ministries, UN, and NGO partners to provide protection, basic social services and livelihood support for refugees and host communities in Palorinya Settlement, Obongi District.

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Field Office, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

- Ensure that UNHCR’s policies, standards and procedures are constantly and coherently applied in the Area of Responsibility (AoR).

- Ensure that the needs of persons of concern in the AoR are assessed and analysed in a participating manner and using an Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective to form a firm basis for planning.

- Ensure that protection incidents and gaps in assistance are immediately identified and addressed.

- Identify vulnerable groups or individuals who may need special attention or special arrangements and make recommendations on the needs of different groups of refugees.

- Assess protection and assistance needs of refugees and asylum-seekers in the region and monitor implementation of refugee assistance programmes.

- In co-ordination with implementing partners, handle the reception, registration and provision of assistance to persons of concern to UNHCR.

- Provide inputs for project submissions and periodic narrative and financial reports for the annual programme.

- Develop and maintain relations with local authorities ensuring smooth negotiations in all aspects of UNHCR's mandate for the benefit of refugees.

- Monitor the security situation in the area and intervene as appropriate with the local authorities.

- Participation in needs assessment as a member of the Multi-Functional team

- In close coordination with programme and project control, monitor project implementation and provide feedback on the progress to the relevant units/sections

- Undertake other relevant duties as required.