World Food Program chief Cindy McCain said parts of the Gaza Strip were experiencing a “total famine” that was rapidly spreading across the territory after nearly seven months of war.
Ms. McCain is the second high-profile American to lead the U.S. government or U.N. aid efforts to say there is famine in northern Gaza, although her remarks did not amount to a formal statement. Complex bureaucratic procedures.
“There’s famine in the North — full-scale famine, and it’s spreading southward,” Ms. McCain said. Accept media interviews on Friday. Interviewer Kristen Welker asked Ms. McCain to repeat it.
“What you say is important,” Ms. Welker said. “You’re saying there’s a full-scale famine going on in northern Gaza?”
“Yes, I am,” Ms. McCain replied. “I am.”
The first U.S. official to say there was famine in Gaza during the conflict was U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power. Congressional testimony last month.
Ms. McCain was appointed by President Biden in 2021 as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Agency and last year became the head of the United Nations agency WFP.
A formal declaration of famine usually involves the United Nations and the government of the country where the famine occurs, and It is not clear what the local authorities are There may be the ability to do that in Gaza.
In the interview, Ms. McCain did not explain why a famine was not officially declared. But she said her assessment was “based on what we see and what we experience on the ground.”
“It was horrific,” she said. “It’s ugly to see and it’s ugly to hear. I very much hope that we can have a ceasefire and start feeding these people at a faster rate, especially in the north.”
Gaza has been plagued by what experts call “ Serious man-made hunger crisis Delivering aid to the territory has become extremely difficult due to Israeli bombing and restrictions. The amount of aid entering Gaza has increased recently, but aid groups say it is far from enough.
In the first weeks of the war, Israel maintained what it called ” “Total siege” Gaza Defense Minister Yov Galante said “no electricity, no food, no water, no fuel” would be allowed into the territory.The Israeli military also Destroy the Gaza portRestricted fishing and bombed many farms.
Israel eventually eased the blockade but instituted strict inspection procedures, saying it was necessary to ensure supplies did not fall into the hands of Hamas.Aid groups and foreign diplomats say the inspections create bottleneckand accused Israel of exploiting them Refusal of assistance on false groundsincluding a water filter, solar lights and a medical kit containing scissors.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a statement Last month, Israel’s policy on aid to Gaza may constitute a war crime.
The Israeli military has faced growing pressure to allow aid into Gaza after it killed seven international aid workers from Gaza in recent weeks. world central kitchen during an air raid.
