Leonardo Martínez is a UN Volunteer serving as Protection, Childhood and Humanitarian Action Specialist with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Colombia, which is the lead host country for Venezuelan migrants and refugees. These migrants and refugees face a hoard of humanitarian issues. The situation is worsened by internal armed conflict, as approximately 6.9 million people in rural areas are under the control or influence of non-state armed groups.

The Peruvian towns of Tumbes, Piura, and Lambayeque are facing a triple crisis: climate change, a dengue fever outbreak and forced migration. It is estimated that 840,000 people need humanitarian assistance after heavy rains and are at risk of a possible "El Niño" phenomenon.

Facilitating safe returns with IOM Toema Ibrahim (Egypt, 24) is a UN Volunteer Migrant Protection Assistant with the International Office for Migration (IOM) in Cairo. In his work, he is facilitating the safe return of individuals from diverse nationalities to their countries of origin, and he has worked actively on IOM’s Sudan response assisting people to their countries of origin.

What did your day-to-day work at UNFPA Madagascar entail? 

Elina and Martha were part of the Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) group that supported the coast-to coast immunization campaign rolled out from November 2022 until March 2023. They contributed to social mobilization and risk communication activities.

I have a background in human security and international cooperation and am interested in making the world a safer place. I have worked for international organizations and governments in Europe, Asia and Africa, and learnt to adapt to different environments.

Medical, technical, administration and communications expertise

According to the latest data on immunization in Indonesia, published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in July 2022, the country has experienced a significant decline in basic immunization coverage. From 84.2 per cent in 2020, the coverage rate dropped to 79.6 percent in 2021. This decline is being attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ana Paula Machinha and Ramos Cassimo are national UN Volunteers serving with the World Food Programme (WFP) in Mozambique. They share stories from their involvement in the humanitarian response, revealing efforts to counter the cost of the humanitarian crisis in the country. Ana Paula Machinha, national UN Volunteer Field Monitoring Assistant with WFP