Part-time arrangements may be considered, provided they equate to the full-time minimum and maximum periods (e.g., 50% part-time for 4 months = minimum 2 months full-time).
Duties and Responsibilities
Support the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in coordinating humanitarian response and ensuring coherence among actors.
Work within the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) secretariat to provide timely, flexible aid in underfunded emergencies.
Monitor humanitarian developments, support anticipatory action frameworks, and draft funding application responses.
Prepare guidance, conduct training, and coordinate with Resident and Humanitarian Coordinators.
Manage data on localization, gender, and funding trends; maintain information resources; assist in partnerships with Member States and UN agencies.
Organize high-level events, analyze complex data, and create dashboards to improve efficiency and transparency in funding allocations.
Participate in all aspects of CERF programmatic and partnership work under the supervision of a CERF supervisor.
Specific tasks include:
Monitor, analyze, and research humanitarian developments; support funding decisions.
Assist in setting up Anticipatory Action (AA) frameworks through research, analysis, and work plan implementation.
Review funding applications with Programme Officers; ensure accountability with OCHA branches and UN agencies.
Contribute to climate-smart humanitarian action initiatives: analyze proposals, develop guidance, and review strategies.
Prepare guidance materials and conduct trainings for internal and external stakeholders.
Draft documents: presentations, briefings, guidance notes, and talking points for senior staff.
Collect and manage data on localization, gender, and funding trends; prepare dashboards and updates.
Maintain information resources; respond to inquiries and provide updates on humanitarian topics.
Coordinate lessons learned and good practices; liaise with field offices and identify story hooks.
Support CERF partnerships with Member States, UN agencies, and humanitarian partners.
Assist in organizing high-level events, including General Assembly side events and the CERF Annual Pledging Event.
Conduct research and draft advocacy materials on CERF-related topics.
Analyze complex data sets to support decision-making in humanitarian projects and fund allocations.
Perform other duties as required.
Qualifications/Special Skills
Students in the final year of a university degree (bachelor, master, PhD) or recently completed (within one year) are eligible.
Applicants are not required to have professional work experience.
Field of study should be closely related to the internship.
Excellent knowledge of standard software applications: MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Excel, and MS Teams.
Knowledge of Statistics, Python, and data visualization tools is desirable.
Languages
English and French are official UN working languages.
Fluency in spoken and written English is required.
Fluency in French is desirable.
Knowledge of other UN official languages is desirable.
Additional Information
OCHA encourages applicants regardless of race, color, national origin, ethnic or social background, gender, sexual orientation, religion, HIV status, or disability.
The UN will assist with arrangements for a G-4 visa for interns in the USA who require one.
Intern-Specific Information
Interns are not financially remunerated by the UN.
Travel, visas, accommodation, and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions.
Non-citizen or non-permanent residents may require a visa and work/employment authorization.
Candidates should clarify visa requirements before accepting the internship.
Deadline : Oct 12, 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.
