As the Asia-Pacific region continues its dynamic transformation, WFP is assessing its relevance and positioning its role in the region. This is imperative not only due to the transition of many countries to Lower Middle/Middle Income status, but because of the recurring and increasing ferocity of natural disasters. The Asia-Pacific is the most disaster affected region in the world, especially susceptible to sudden-onset disasters that can outstrip short-term national response capacities and create unique challenges for timely delivery of international humanitarian assistance.
To meet these challenges, the WFP Regional Bureau for Asia-Pacific has strengthened its Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) capacity with the objective of improving the timeliness, efficacy and efficiency of national and regional humanitarian response. The Regional Bureau Bangkok Programme unit (EPR team) applies WFP’s humanitarian expertise and global mandate to a programme of response planning, gap identification, project design, sustainability planning and technical assistance to the implementation of emergency preparedness initiatives at national and regional levels throughout Asia-Pacific.
WFP Regional Bureau Bangkok provides strategic guidance and technical support to WFP country operations in the region and in line with the strategic shift to national capacity building to achieve zero hunger, provides technical assistance to staff and managers in the region to test and apply innovative programmatic approaches. The regional approach also supports WFP’s 2017-2021 Strategic Plan Goals 1 (Supporting Countries to Achieve Zero Hunger) and 2 (Partnering to Support Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals), aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and acts on WFP’s World Humanitarian Summit Grand Bargain commitments in support of localisation, needs assessments, increased use of cash-based programming, and multi-year planning and funding.
A Regional Emergencies Programme Officer is required in order to support implementation of Asia-Pacific emergency preparedness activities, provide support to Regional Bureau Bangkok technical units and Country Offices implementing EPR-related activities, to contribute to programme formulation and/or provide technical advice and oversight of the programme. The incumbent will also support the continued development of communications, coordination, information management and reporting to facilitate informed and timely decision-making at all levels throughout the region.