Assessing the Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza and Sudan, and the Urgent Need for Aid Access

This interview features Cindy McCain, the World Food Programme executive director, discussing the situation in Gaza. She recently returned from a trip there, entering through the Kissufim gate and visiting Deir al Balah, Khan Yunis, and exiting through the Kerem Shalom gate. She described widespread devastation, hunger, and people waiting in long lines for water. She met a family of eleven who had walked from the north, and the pictures they showed of their lives before and after the conflict were heartbreaking. She emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire to allow for the delivery of food.

McCain highlighted the potential impact of a more aggressive military offensive in Gaza City, which would further limit access to food and endanger humanitarian aid workers. She stressed that humanitarian aid workers are not targets and that their safety must be ensured. She mentioned that last year was one of the deadliest on record for humanitarian workers, with nearly 400 killed. She emphasized the need for full, unfettered access at scale to provide food and ensure the safety of aid workers.

During her trip, McCain met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While she described the meeting as productive, she also stated that not enough food was getting into Gaza. She responded to the Prime Minister's Office's statement that she was misrepresenting the situation by stating that she stood by her assessment. She explained that while more food had been allowed in recently, it was still insufficient to address malnutrition, starvation, and famine. She also emphasized that addressing famine requires more than just food, including access to water, medicine, and specialized care.

The conversation then shifted to Sudan, where the World Food Programme is also facing challenges. McCain discussed the attack on a convoy delivering aid and the difficulties of delivering food during the lean season, which is marked by heavy rains. She noted that famine exists in El Fasher, within the Darfur region, and in other parts of Sudan. She reiterated the need for safe and full, unfettered access to deliver food to those in need.