Earlier this year, the United States sparked violent clashes when it attempted to force supplies, ostensibly meant for humanitarian assistance, through Venezuela's borders without the government’s permission. International humanitarian groups slammed Washington for "politicizing" aid while Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said the deliveries were part of a US plot to overthrow his government.
"The United States Government, represented by the US Agency for International Development Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance, is seeking applications from qualified US citizens to provide personal services as a Senior Humanitarian Advisor for Venezuela under a United States Personal Services Contract," the agency said in a solicitation posted this week.
According to the job requirements, the new adviser would lead efforts to assess humanitarian assistance needs, target beneficiary groups and locations, and "recommend the types of interventions" required.
On June 17, Venezuela received its second batch of Red Cross humanitarian aid, which exceeded 20 tonnes. The delivery was in line with the agreement between Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido to allow humanitarian aid into the country that was brokered by the Red Cross back in March.
In February, the International Center of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Columbia said it would not help distribute the US goods because it does not consider the assistance to be legitimate humanitarian aid. The UN Secretary-General’s office urged Washington not to deliver aid without the consent of Venezuelan government authorities and to halt politicizing assistance.
While the United States has expressed concerns over the humanitarian situation in Venezuela, a study released in May - co-authored by leading economist Jeffrey Sachs - concluded that Trump administration sanctions have killed some 40,000 Venezuelans since 2017.
The Trump administration intensified efforts to topple Maduro’s government earlier this year by backing opposition leader Juan Guaido’s failed coup and imposing sanctions US officials said were designed to exacerbate the country’s already acute economic crisis.
