The following is the transcription of an interview with Cindy McCain, govt director of the World Meals Program, which was issued in “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Might 25, 2025.
Margaret Brennan: Welcome once more to face the nation. Now we go to the chief director of the United Nations World Meals Program, Cindy McCain. It joins us this Kinshasa morning within the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Good morning to you.
Government Director of the UN Meals Program Cindy McCain: Good morning.
Margaret Brennan: I wish to ask about some important factors in Africa, however let’s begin first within the Center East if we might. In Gaza, now we have this disaster made by man with Israeli authorities that block the entry of all the help from March to round Might 18. The Trump administration mentioned Israel must let meals in. So, are your deliveries passing constantly?
McCain: Effectively, let’s begin with the truth that it’s a disaster, and you’re completely appropriate, and I’m very grateful that you’re protecting this drawback. They’ve let some vans in. It is a fall within the dice as to what’s wanted. Presently, now we have 500,000 folks inside Gaza who’re, who’re extraordinarily insecure of meals, and could possibly be on the verge of famine if we don’t assist deliver them again from that. We have to enter, and we have to enter scale, not only some vans right now, as I mentioned, it’s a drop within the dice.
Margaret Brennan: So what number of vans ought to enter each day to deal with the size of the necessity you see, and may enter northern Gaza?
McCain: Effectively, earlier than, you understand, in the course of the prime fireplace, I need to say that we have been receiving 600 vans a day. Presently, we’re getting in maybe 100 one thing like that. Due to this fact, it isn’t sufficient, and should go to the suitable locations. So, the varied doorways is inconsistent in how the doorways are open. It’s inconsistent by way of the roads that we will use. The roads which might be the most effective roads, which might take us later, will not be open in any respect. It’s sophisticated infrequently, I’ll inform anybody who listens to that we have to enter and enter scale and permit these folks to be feed earlier than a bigger disaster happens.
Margaret Brennan: His group introduced that at the very least 15 of their vans have been looted after they entered southern Gaza on their strategy to bakeries. Israel has always mentioned that looting is being carried out by Hamas. Have you ever seen proof that it’s Hamas stealing meals?
McCain: No, in any respect. No, not on this spherical. Pay attention, these individuals are determined, and see a truck of the world meals program that enters and run for it. This: this has nothing to do with Hamas or any sort of organized crime, or something. It has to do with the truth that these individuals are ravenous, so we’ll proceed to enter. We are going to proceed coming into the meals and the kinds of provides we have to assist bakeries to function and ensure we will proceed doing that, and hopefully we will do extra. However once more, we can not do that until the world neighborhood press this. We can not afford to take a seat and see these folks ravenous with out exterior diplomatic affect to assist us. These, these poor souls are actually, very, very determined. And you understand, after having been in a riot of meals a number of years in the past, I perceive despair very nicely.
Margaret Brennan: 5 days in the past, Prime Minister Netanyahu promised to take management of all Gaza, which appears to be a change to enter, perform raids after which retire. We now have seen the Pope communicate. We now have seen the leaders of France, Canada, from the UK calling to cut back atrocious support. Netanyahu mentioned criticism like which might be feeding Hamas and actually feeding anti -Semitism. What do you try this rejection of him, that criticisms of the State are feeding hate?
McCain: What I do know is that you’re not feeding folks and a very powerful a part of that is what we’re alleged to do. I’m very grateful for anybody, the Pope, any of the individuals who did, shouted and mentioned, listened, we have to enter extra, however I can not inform him what precisely is what Netanyahu or the rest is pondering. What I do know the truth is is that we’d like meals to enter Gaza to keep away from complete disaster.
Margaret Brennan: The Israeli military had introduced that the help will likely be distributed beneath what they described as an American plan. Prime Minister Netanyahu mentioned that they are going to be US corporations that give meals on to Palestinian households in secure areas secured by the Israeli military. There are reviews within the Washington Publish that these are armed non-public contractors that make logistics, the Palestinians must endure identification controls to be fed, and that might change the UN coordinated networks, presumably additionally the World Meals Program. Have you learnt how way more you may function in Gaza?
McCain: I’ve not seen anybody’s plan. We proceed to function, doing what we do higher, and we’re the largest and the most effective in what we do, might add. Me: We now have by no means been a plan that has been proposed to us. We actually do not know what comes across the curve. We are going to proceed to function. We are going to work with anybody, if you’ll feed folks. That’s a very powerful half right here is that we can not go to the issues we’ll do, we have to work collectively. We’d like to have the ability to feed these folks and be capable of enter in a constant approach and scale.
Margaret Brennan: now we have not heard within the press, at the very least, of the administration not one of the particulars, however we do know that the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, introduced on Might 9, that this will likely be an American initiative that includes solely Israeli safety. The Israelis will not be distributing meals. The Rubio Secretary was in Rome. He mentioned he gathered with you. Did you share with him any of your issues?
McCain: Effectively, we had a really frank dialogue about precisely what was taking place and what we might do to assist relieve a whole lot of this. A few of this, I’m not positive that they’ve utterly clear how we function and the dimensions we’re and the logistics capability now we have to have the ability to do that. So- So we had an excellent dialogue. As you understand, the Rubio household and the McCain household have been buddies for a very long time. Then, he was grateful to take the time to take heed to what, what we needed to say, and let’s discuss precisely how we really feel we must always function. And he was very grateful for and for the dignity of getting the chance to speak to him.
Margaret Brennan: did you guarantee you that the US helps the UN and the World Meals Program that continues to provide meals in Gaza?
McCain: We actually don’t talk about the participation of the US in any of this. I used to be very, very anxious and actually attempting to know how we function and the necessity for what precisely what we do. As soon as once more, I’ll inform you that we’ll work with anybody, supplied that folks feed and feed folks safely, might add, on the bottom and hold our folks and folks from different companies safely.
Margaret Brennan: Now you’re speaking to us from the Congo. President Trump mentioned final week, the administration was near negotiating an settlement between Congo and Rwanda to finish their conflict. The numbers are wonderful by way of meals insecurity. Does it have any sense that there’s any sort of excessive fireplace that’s near serving to folks feed?
McCain: Effectively, I hear that there are some doable discussions that may happen in Qatar, another discussions which have taken place in different nations and positively in different areas of Africa. What I do know is that we should hurry. Persons are hungry and folks have been displaced, and folks’s illness outbreaks are more and more frequent now because of a number of the floods on account of the climate, the climatic issues right here. So, my objective on this explicit journey, I’ve been right here many, many instances, and my objective on this explicit journey is to see precisely the place we sat, precisely what sort of meals is allowed in primary and quantity two, what can we do higher to assist relieve a number of the, the, these, the issues which might be taking place right here with meals. There are lots of people inside the RDC, the Congo, significantly within the East, who wouldn’t have entry to meals, and in the event that they do, it isn’t a lot. So it’s, it’s my time right now is to make it possible for we’re doing our greatest to make it possible for individuals are not hungry.
Margaret Brennan: We now have spoken prior to now about how horrible are the situations inside Sudan right now. Final week, the Trump administration put extra authorities restrictions after utilizing chemical weapons towards their very own folks, one thing they mentioned it occurred in 2024. There may be additionally a famine there right now. Is there any signal that folks can enter and feed folks there?
McCain: Effectively, we’re there proper now. We’re there and you understand, it’s sophisticated to have the ability to be there, however we’re there, we’re feeding on. However once more, there may be famine and having the ability to feed, journey freely, distribute meals and enter the locations we have to go, it’s the drawback right here. And as you understand, there are lots of factions that play on the bottom in Sudan.
Margaret Brennan: Cindy McCain–
McCain: However, let me say this …
Maragret Brennan: Proceed.
McCain: –Sudan is the most important humanitarian disaster on the planet right now. It’s the best, and now we have to concentrate and make it possible for we will proceed there and different companies can enter there to do precisely what they should do too.
Margaret Brennan: Government Director of the World Meals Program, Cindy McCain, thanks for her time this morning.
McCain: Thanks very a lot for inviting me.