Low morale and empty desks, aid workers who say they are treated like office supplies, warnings against organized strikes, and a “virtual caste system” of inequitable hiring mechanisms — the U.S. Agency for International Development is in the throes of a workforce crisis. For years, USAID has been warned that its workforce system is broken. Now, it’s becoming harder to ignore. Interviews with key members of Administrator Samantha Power’s team and aid workers bearing the brunt of two decades of dysfunction, and dozens of reports and internal documents, paint a picture of an agency in an increasingly untenable position. The situation is threatening its ability to respond to unprecedented levels of humanitarian need. Power has pledged to tackle the issue — but can she?