The Interview Samantha Power, former US Ambassador to UN: Closing USAID was soft power suicide
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Mar 9, 2026 Samantha Power, former U.S. Ambassador to the UN and ex-head of USAID, speaks from her humanitarian and foreign policy experience. She condemns the closure of USAID as strategic self-harm. She explains UN Security Council gridlock, the struggle to secure humanitarian access in Gaza, global famine risks, and the task of rebuilding U.S. foreign assistance and international trust.
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Security Council Gridlock From Competing Great Power Interests
- The UN Security Council is becoming gridlocked as veto-holding powers pursue conflicting aggressive interests.
- Samantha Power links Russia's invasions and China's ambitions plus US blocking positions to a marked decline in Council functionality and global peace enforcement.
US Aid Cuts Directly Weaken UN Humanitarian Response
- Deep US foreign assistance cuts severely reduced UN humanitarian capacity because the US funds many relief efforts.
- Power notes USAID managed $14 billion in her last year, later cut by $10 billion, leaving millions without rations, shelter, or medicine.
USAID's Humanitarian Effort Amid Military Support For Israel
- USAID tried to deliver humanitarian aid and run hospitals in Gaza during the October 7 aftermath while the administration simultaneously provided military aid to Israel.
- Power describes using diplomatic leverage to protect NGOs and UN agencies, though results were limited amid continued civilian harm.