UNHCR Livelihoods Associate Jobs in Kenya

UNHCR Livelihoods Associate Jobs in Kenya

The Office of the UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide.

Its primary purpose is to safe-guard the rights and well-being of asylum-seekers and 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 take advantage of a third country solution, including resettlement in a third country (www.unhcr.org).

The operational context at Branch Office Nairobi is urban-centered: in total, some 75,000 asylum-seekers and refugees are living within Nairobi and other urban areas. 57.5% are within the working age.

Though the majority of urban refugees in Kenya reside in Nairobi, there is a sizable population of urban refugees in Mombasa, and as well as inflow from border areas.

While overall the Government of Kenya has maintained an open-door policy with regards to new arrivals, the refugee protection environment in Kenya remains volatile.

While the Government has committed itself to apply the principles of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework and endorsed the Global Compact on Refugees in December 2018, the Government wants to see the Dadaab Refugee Complex closed and the number of Somali refugees significantly reduced.

In addition, it continues to apply an encampment policy, not in favour of refugees living in urban areas.

Insecurity in Kenya has often been associated with refugees presence in the country. While these allegations remain unfounded,there have been ongoing arrests and harassment facing refugees.

While the government made arrests of a few individuals associated with terrorism in the camps in the past couple years, the overwhelming majority of refugees in the country remain innocent and law-abiding.

Economically, refugees face numerous challenges. Livelihood opportunities for refugees in urban areas continue to dwindle due to limited access to income-generating activities,micro-loans, stringent criteria for acquiring work permits, lack of skills, and stiff business competition environment in urban centers.

Access to national and county government social services remain a challenge. As a result, refugees are subjected to poor standards of living; this has a direct negative impact on the well-being of UNHCRs Persons of Concern.

Refugees have assets and skills. The majority of them are working in the informal sector due to lack of documentation. Refugee entrepreneurs are excluded from the financial system which let them struggle to expand and take part in the local market.

UNHCR and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC, UNHCR implementing partner) work towards self-reliance and the well-being of the refugees through various programs.

The current livelihoods unit consists of a livelihoods officer and an assistant livelihoods officer. The unit oversees the livelihoods programme country-wide.

The unit works closely with different livelihoods partners, social-enterprises and the private sector

Accountability