New York, New York, United States
Jake became hooked on humanitarian work while providing ‘protection by presence’ for returning refugees in the wake of the Guatemala’s civil war. In 2000, Jake first joined the UN as a volunteer in West Timor in the immediate aftermath of East Timor’s bloody independence referendum. After seeing nearly every Timorese refugee return home by 2002, he has spent the years since working for UNHCR and OCHA in a number of field operations (Sri Lanka, Iraq, Sudan, Ethiopia, Colombia) and most recent with UN OCHA here in New York. In the last two years, Jake has deployed to Aleppo in Syria to support the earthquake response, was the first international staff member to reach Derna in Libya where he coordinated the humanitarian response following the catastrophic dam collapse, and most recently was in Gaza at the height of hostilities on what became his most challenging life-saving mission. Jake has left the UN on occasion to satisfy a wanderlust beyond humanitarian work, including an encounter with two polar bears while skiing to the North Pole which led to the establishment of a trust fund designed to cover the cost of life-saving medical evacuations of refugee children in the most difficult of situations.
-2009-2012: Special Assistant to Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (Baghdad, Iraq) - As Special Assistant, I was responsible for ensuring that the DSRSG/RC/HC was prepared substantively and logistically to perform her functions in all three "hats" . -2007-2009: Humanitarian Affairs Officer (Mosul, Jordan) - Developed a structure for the Government-led Emergency Coordination and Response Cell (ECRC). Served as a member of the Humanitarian Working Group (HWG). Assisted the Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator to organize and draft the 2008 CAP document, and subsequently follow-up on its status with donors based in Baghdad and those passing through. Kept abreast of the constantly unfolding IDP and humanitarian situation in Iraq, and ensuring all UN agencies were receiving the same information.
Worked as a trainer on their Emergency Response Training having already participated on two previous occasions (once as a student, the second as a trainer). Assisted with the coordination of the course itself and the week-long emergency simulation which involves hundreds of different actors (from the Swedish military, SRSA and public), I was also asked to develop a set of recommendations for WFP to consider in developing its future Emergency Response Trainings. My role resulted in the successful training of fifty WFP field staff from all over the world. I also was central to the redrafting of the case-study material.
In cooperation with UNHCR, I took part in the 2007 Polar Race to the North Pole. Alongside a team-mate, the challenge is to race 500 miles on foot to the North Pole in aid of UNHCR. The challenge was two-pronged: to raise £250,000 for UNHCR and more specifically a fund within it to cover urgent medical evacuations for refugee children, and more importantly to raise awareness of the global plight of refugees in the UK and Canada.
On an OCHA contract, working as a Humanitarian Advisor to the Office of the Prime Minister of Iraq, it was my duty to advise the government of the creation and establishment of an Emergency Coordination and Response Cell (ECRC) capable of responding to emergencies on a national scale in coordination with other ministries. My work within the Prime Ministers Office also included advising on the development of a National Contingency Plan for Iraq.