WFP Slams “Israel”: Aid Under Fire

By Staff, Agencies

The head of the UN World Food Program [WFP], Cindy McCain called Gaza the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, blaming "Israel’s" aggression for blocking life-saving aid to civilians.

"There's very serious malnutrition. You've seen people die of hunger there." McCain told Japan's NHK broadcaster. "It's very difficult when they're pointing guns at us or tanks or anything else. There's been aid stoppage because all of a sudden that road is blocked. We can't get in."

Her warning came as the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification [IPC] declared Gaza in catastrophic famine, with the territory reaching phase five—the most severe hunger level.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said famine is now "certain in Gaza City" after months of unheeded warnings, stressing that both food shortages and the collapse of essential services are driving the catastrophe.

UNICEF reports nearly 13,000 children in Gaza are severely malnourished, with survival now dependent on urgent access to nutrition and healthcare.

Lazzarini said recent aid through Cyprus treated only 1,000 children for a month, stressing that only a full ceasefire would enable proper delivery of food, water, and healthcare.

Gaza’s health authorities said on Sunday that at least 289 people, including 115 children, have already lost their lives of malnutrition, a toll expected to rise sharply in the coming weeks.

Gaza authorities accuse "Israeli" forces of allowing looting and blocking key food items, contributing to mass starvation amid the destruction of local agriculture.

McCain acknowledged that other regions, including Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Sahel, are also suffering humanitarian crises.

Yet she affirmed that Gaza faces the most devastating conditions worldwide, with more than 640,000 Palestinians projected to experience catastrophic food insecurity by September if restrictions remain in place.