Facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected Syria

Facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected Syria

As part of the international community’s response to humanitarian needs in Syria, the UN Security Council established the United Nations Monitoring Mechanism (UNMM) in 2014.

The role of the UNMM is to confirm the humanitarian nature of the relief consignments that United Nations humanitarian agencies and their implementing partners have been sending to Syria from Turkey, Jordan and Iraq.

Over the course of the past five years, the UNMM has mobilized a cumulative total of 18 UN Volunteers to support the delivery of its mandate at the border between Turkey and Syria. UN Volunteer Thevanathan Nadesapillai (Sri Lanka) joined the UNMM in Turkey in June 2018 as a UN Volunteer Monitoring Officer. His assignment is to inspect the relief consignments that are loaded at the border and monitor their passage across the border. Through his service, he facilitates the delivery of much-needed humanitarian assistance to people in need in Syria, the coordination of which falls under the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA).

As a UN Volunteer, Theva utilizes the knowledge he brought with him from his previous experience to establish effective partnerships with UN agencies, implementing partners and customs authorities. In addition, and out of a desire to bring added value to his assignment, Theva has taken many personal development initiatives to enhance his communication and reporting skills. This includes completing two courses on professional writing and technology on data visualization and analysis.

Original source: UNV
Published on 26 August 2019