Abiot and Adebukola analyze data as part of their UN Volunteer assignments by reviewing reports, supporting the design of monitoring tools, and providing internal evaluations of UNECA programmes on economic and social development. Monitoring and evaluation ensure sound evidence-based policymaking and reporting.

In Poland, WHO faced a major challenge with the influx of Ukrainians fleeing war in their home country. Health aid was needed swiftly and in response, WHO recruited 13 UN Volunteers for two years (2022-23) in Poland. These volunteers integrated into the United Nations' response efforts and contributed to providing health services to refugees.

In Nepal, UNICEF supported the Government of Nepal to ensure widespread measles and rubella vaccination for children. In four key provinces, 281,233 children aged 9 to 11 months were vaccinated.  As a Social Behaviour Change Officer, Ashok Kumar Joshi has brought his expertise to UNICEF’s immunization programme since September 2023. He contributes to raising awareness among mothers, caretakers, and decision-makers on the importance of timely vaccination.

This partnership aims to build on the progress and achievements made during the previous UNV and ILO partnership from 2017-2022, particularly the development of survey tools for the statistical measurement of volunteer work .

In 2007, I came to the United Nations Volunteers Headquarters in Bonn. I was a Senior Programme Specialist for the Asia-Pacific, Europe, and CIS (APEC) responsible for UN Volunteer management, joint programming, and humanitarian support. This was one of the most rewarding and inspiring assignments of my UN career because I interacted with and directly supported hundreds of (mostly) young women and men worldwide who demonstrated passion and commitment to serve others less fortunate through volunteering with field-based UN agencies.

Karuna began her volunteer assignment in November 2022. She helps build the resilience of personnel and says, “My goal is to significantly impact the lives of those affected by various crises. Through personalized counseling sessions, I help individuals and groups manage their mental health and effectively cope with their challenges.”  I take pride in positively impacting Afghan women which has given me new perspectives and insights that continually help me to grow as an individual." -- Karuna Kunwar, UN Volunteer Staff Counsellor with UNAMA.

Proving joint medical services and emergency response From routine check-ups to critical emergency response, UN Volunteer health professionals within the Joint Medical Services and Medical Emergency Response Team play a vital role in ensuring the well-being of those working tirelessly to support the Afghan people.

Through community interviews, group activities, and dialogue sessions, I often gain insight into the unique mental health and psycho-social needs of community members, many times in dire situations. These interactions not only inform our programming but also foster a sense of belonging and support within the community.  

  The interview transcript of the UNICEF Country Representative in Ethiopia was edited for brevity.

To tackle infectious waste, the comprehensive healthcare waste management project was implemented in Myanmar, which provided health risk reduction to 8,105,310 beneficiaries. Nway Eint Chei was part of implementing the project. She gave technical inputs for comprehensive healthcare waste management training materials, monitored project progress, shared COVID-19 vaccination waste management knowledge, and prepared donor reports.