Duties and Responsibilities The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinates effective and principled humanitarian action in response to emergencies. The Assessment, Planning and Monitoring Branch (APMB) supports coordination through tools and services focused on needs assessment, response planning, and monitoring. The Needs and Response Analysis Section (NARAS) provides guidance, policy development, technical support, and capacity-building.
Under the general guidance of a primary supervisor, the intern will work on two main projects:
Humanitarian Action Platform
Support country teams in digitalizing humanitarian needs and response plans.
Develop training materials and deliver training sessions.
Serve as a support desk for inquiries and troubleshooting.
Assist with data structuring, entry, consistency, and analysis.
Participate in technical meetings and coordination activities.
Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO)
Contribute to analytical work for the 2026 GHO publication.
Review and synthesize humanitarian data and trends.
Support identification of global needs, response gaps, and funding trends.
Draft analytical content and prepare data visualizations.
Coordinate inputs from country and regional offices for the GHO.
Additional Responsibilities
Support the design and development of studies on humanitarian response.
Conduct research and analysis on assigned topics.
Contribute to background papers, policy briefs, and reports.
Assist in maintaining reference materials and organizing events.
Take notes during meetings and workshops.
Stay informed on humanitarian, political, and gender-related issues.
Carry out other tasks as assigned.
Important Note
The internship is for a maximum of six (6) months, in-person in Geneva.
Availability from late September to mid-December is essential for GHO delivery.
Qualifications/Special Skills
Enrolled in or completed a graduate or final-year undergraduate program (preferably in political science, international studies, public administration, economics, engineering, earth sciences, etc.).
No professional experience required, but a relevant field of study is essential.
Demonstrated interest in humanitarian issues and data-driven analysis.
Strong analytical and research skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
Familiarity with data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, Datawrapper) is an asset.
Understanding of visual communication and chart selection.
Experience with digital platforms or user support is desirable.
Ability to draft clear and concise written materials.
Strong organizational and multitasking abilities.
Comfort working in a multicultural team environment.
Awareness of humanitarian trends, including gender and policy dimensions.
Graphic design skills are an advantage.
Languages
Fluency in English and French (oral and written) is required.
Knowledge of Spanish is an asset.
Internship Specific Information
Interns are not financially remunerated.
Interns are responsible for travel, visa, accommodation, and living costs.
Interns may need appropriate work authorization or visas, depending on location.
Visa requirements should be discussed upon internship offer.
Deadline : Jul 30, 2025
About the Organization
In December 1991, the General Assembly adopted Resolution 46/182, designed to strengthen the United Nation's response to both complex emergencies and natural disasters. In addition it aimed at improving the overall effectiveness of the UN's humanitarian operations in the field.
The resolution also created the high level position of Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC). This new function would combine into a single UN focal point the functions carried out by representatives of the Secretary-General for major and complex emergencies, as well as the UN's natural disaster functions carried out by the UN Disaster Relief Coordinator, UNDRO.
Soon after, the Secretary-General established the Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA) and assigned the ERC the status of Under-Secretary-General (USG) for Humanitarian Affairs with offices in New York and Geneva to provide institutional support.
Resolution 46/182 also created the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), the Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) and the Central Emergency Revolving Fund (CERF) as key coordination mechanisms and tools of the ERC.
As part of the Secretary-General's programme of reform in 1998, DHA was reorganized into the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA. Its mandate was expanded to include the coordination of humanitarian response, policy development and humanitarian advocacy.
OCHA carries out its coordination function primarily through the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, which is chaired by the ERC. Participants include all humanitarian partners, from UN agencies, funds and programmes to the Red Cross Movement and NGOs. The IASC ensures inter-agency decision-making in response to complex emergencies. These responses include needs assessments, consolidated appeals, field coordination arrangements and the development of humanitarian policies.
Start your application
Applications for this position must be completed on the recruiting organization's website.
