UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Administrator Samantha Power with NBC’s Andrea Mitchell

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ANDREA MITCHELL: The Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, if it holds, is going to allow for a surge in desperately needed aid, aid to Gaza, where there is Famine, near Famine conditions, a lack of medicine, water, fuel, shelter, doctors. Joining me now, USAID Administrator Samantha Power, who was the former UN Ambassador from the United States.

Thank you so much for everything you’ve done. There’s been a lot of news today with everything changing on Capitol Hill, but let’s quickly get to the humanitarian aid for the Palestinians in Gaza. If and when this goes into effect, do you think that some of the barriers that, frankly, that Israel has put up along the borders and the closures can be eliminated, we can get more truckloads in and move it quickly?

ADMINISTRATOR SAMANTHA POWER: Thank you, Andrea, and thanks for all the attention you have paid to the humanitarian situation in Gaza from the beginning. The short answer is yes, we really hope to be able to surge humanitarian assistance. We have sent a team from Washington to the region. They’re working through the modalities of how many more checkpoints can be open at one time, how the hours can be extended, where the trucks can be sourced from.

We have had stockpiles in the region for a long time that we have been trying to push in. The end of conflict is going to make a profound difference. I mean, just in terms of the ability to move from north to south in Gaza, which has been severely impeded, the ability to reach people in northern Gaza who are surely the worse off of any of the hungry civilians.

Obviously, shelter is still a huge issue, getting winterization supplies in. Only 20 or 30 percent of the things that we thought were needed for winter have reached civilians who are mainly living kind of out away from homes given all of the destruction that has occurred. So we’ve got to take advantage of this, and I think we’re well positioned to do so. But we also need more resources to be mobilized. If we can bring up the number of trucks that are going in, we’re going to want there to be a consistent, steady pipeline. And the next Administration, of course, has been absolutely pivotal in helping secure this ceasefire, and we’re hoping in the implementation and in the humanitarian emergency assistance, but also in the reconstruction phase that will come later, but they will also be deeply engaged.

MS. MITCHELL: And you’ve traveled all over the world, endlessly and dealing with all these disasters. But I just want to leave this on a positive note. You’ve also managed to make sport diplomacy part of your regimen in 50 countries, playing rugby, baseball, trying to bridge divides. How important is that?

ADMINISTRATOR POWER: Well, I think it just comes down to meeting people where they are. I think USAID is America’s ground game in our foreign policy. We show that our model is different from that of the PRC. We give grants, not loans. We’re out there in communities actually listening to young people to find out what their aspirations are, to tailor our programming in digital, in education, in agriculture, you name it. And so, getting out there and meeting young people on their terms, there’s nothing quite like the equalizer of getting schooled by a 12-year-old in soccer or in cricket, or by a 17-year-old in basketball. And so, that kind of opens up a space for a different kind of engagement, and to show America, that what we do is on behalf of the American people.

MS. MITCHELL: Samantha Power, thank you for your service. Thanks for all you do, really appreciate it.

ADMINISTRATOR POWER: Thank you, Andrea.