For some years now, the United Nations Population Fund has been working in the humanitarian space, developing processes around its duty of care and support mechanisms for staff in the most difficult duty stations.
In the last few years, the world has seen an increase in the need for humanitarian interventions, which has driven this focus at UNFPA, explained Michael Dahl, the agency’s chief of talent management. UNFPA has also become more involved in this space since gender-based violence became one of its focus areas, he added.
Many staff members who had traditionally worked in a development focus were going to find themselves in situations which were unfamiliar to them in humanitarian posts, Dahl explained. Humanitarian missions can be “very fast-paced and high-stress” and involve staff being away from their families, he added.