Mission and objectives

UNAMA was established in 2002 as a Political/ Peacebuilding Mission, exceptionally) directed and supported by the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO).

Context

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is mandated by Security Council Resolution 2626 (2022) which was extended under Resolution 2777 (2025). This mandate tasks UNAMA with the promotion and support of humanitarian assistance in line with humanitarian principles, human rights, equality for women and girls, inclusive governance, resilience, and economic stability, and using our good offices for principled and constructive engagement with all national, regional and global stakeholders in the pursuit of Afghanistan’s peace and stability. UNAMA reaffirms its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Afghanistan, as well as its continued support for the people of Afghanistan, within the framework of the UN Charter and other international laws and instruments. UNAMA's vision is for a stable and prosperous Afghanistan that lives at peace with itself and its neighbors, where the rights of all the people of Afghanistan are upheld, without discrimination.

Task Description

UNAMA Medical Section is the primary provider of reliable, client-oriented, cost-efficient, and prompt primary health care to all personnel from participating UN entities. The Section aims to protect and promote staff health, sustain, and improve their working capacity, contribute to a safe and healthy working environment, and promote the adaptation of work to the capabilities of staff, taking account of their health status. Under the direct supervision of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), the UN Volunteer Nurse will perform a broad range of duties, including but not limited to the following key responsibilities: 1. Clinical Nursing Care and Patient Management • Attend the UNAMA medical clinic on a full-time basis and provide safe, timely, and professional nursing care to patients. • Provide hands-on nursing care, including administering medications, monitoring patients’ conditions, managing intravenous lines, maintaining nursing records, and promptly communicating relevant findings to physicians. • Observe nursing care and visit patients to ensure that treatment is carried out as directed and in accordance with physicians’ instructions. • Accompany physicians on rounds and keep them informed of special instructions and significant changes in patients’ conditions. • Provide health promotion, patient counseling, and health education, and interpret patient information to support appropriate nursing action and escalation when required. • Ensure the preparation, accuracy, and maintenance of patients’ clinical and nursing records. 2. Nursing Supervision, Coordination, and Quality Assurance • Supervise, coordinate, and support nursing activities within JMS to ensure efficient and effective service delivery. • Evaluate nursing activities to ensure quality patient care, good staff relations, and efficient service delivery. • Identify the learning needs of nursing staff and contribute to the planning and delivery of training and skill development activities. • Serve as a role model for nursing personnel by demonstrating professionalism, sound judgment, leadership ability, and fair decision-making. • Inspect clinical areas, treatment rooms, and wards to ensure cleanliness, orderliness, patient comfort, and readiness for service delivery. • Participate in continuous quality improvement initiatives related to clinical care and nursing services. 3. Emergency Preparedness and Response Readiness • Maintain continuous emergency preparedness of the assigned clinic, including routine checks of crash carts, emergency medications, oxygen, suction, defibrillators, ventilators, monitors, and other essential emergency equipment and supplies. • Ensure that emergency medications and consumables are available, properly stored, clearly organized, and within validity periods at all times. • Identify, document, report, and follow up on expired, missing, damaged, or non-functional emergency drugs, consumables, and equipment. • Support the activities of the Critical Care Team as required. • Participate in emergency drills, preparedness activities, and emergency response improvement measures. 4. Medication Management and Medical Logistics Support • Dispense medications in accordance with established medical protocols, physician instructions, and applicable clinic procedures. • Support safe medication management through appropriate storage, stock monitoring, record keeping, and expiry-date checks. • Assist in monitoring stock levels and consumption of medicines, and consumables, and initiate timely replenishment requests. • Support the pharmacist and medical team in maintaining accurate inventory control to ensure uninterrupted clinic operations. • Conduct regular checks of medical equipment to ensure functionality and operational readiness, and promptly identify equipment faults requiring replacement, servicing, or replenishment. 5. Collaboration and Team Support • Collaborate closely with nurses, paramedics, physicians, the pharmacist, and other JMS and MERT personnel to ensure integrated and effective patient care and operational readiness. • Support multidisciplinary teamwork to maintain high standards of patient care, clinic readiness, and service continuity. 6. Perform any other duties as assigned by the Chief Medical Officer

Competencies and values

• Accountability • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement and decision-making • Planning and organising • Professionalism • Self-management

Living conditions and remarks

Afghanistan is a hardship duty station with a volatile security. Living and working conditions for UN volunteers in UNAMA are similar to the living conditions of all other internationally recruited staff members. UN volunteers are provided with safe accommodation in an extensive compound in Kabul with good infrastructure and amenities. The single unit accommodation in UNOCA and other field locations are fully furnished; this includes, furniture, washing machine dryer, hot plate, iron and iron stand, microwave, plates, cups, spoons, cooking utensils, electric kettle. Bedsheets and pillow covers are also provided. Inside the UNOCA compound are four cafeterias, a restaurant, a Supermarket and 3 small shops which provide a variety of groceries, fresh vegetables, imported canned and frozen food on offer. There is also a social center and a gym within the same compound. The Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own towel and other personal accessories including toiletries and medicines which they may not find easily within the supermarkets inside the UNOCA Compound. Some degree of medical service is provided in all UNAMA duty stations. There is a UN clinic in UNAMA/UNOCA complex, and access is granted in Kabul to other private international clinics (when and if needed). Summer in Afghanistan is hot and dry, but winter is the opposite – cold and wet. Therefore, both summer and winter clothing and comfortable boots with insulation are necessary.