NEW YORK: The head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has said that she believes there is a “full-blown famine” in northern Gaza, after seven months of relentless Israel’s bombing amid several Israeli restrictions on food deliveries to the besieged Palestinian enclave.
“Whenever you have conflicts like this, and emotions rage high, and things happen in a war, famine happens,” WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain said during an interview with NBC’s news show “Meet The Press” , which is set to air on Sunday
“What I can explain to you is — is that there is famine — full-blown famine — ” in the north, and it’s moving its way south,” Ms. McCain, an American national, said.
Since mid-March, the United Nations has said famine is “imminent” in Gaza, but has not yet officially stated that it believes famine has struck the territory.
In April, Samantha Power, the director of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) became the first U.S. official to say that it was credible to assess that famine is occurring in portions of Gaza. No other U.S. official has made that assessment.
Ms. McCain said that while there has not yet been an official declaration of famine, based on what her organization has seen and experienced on the ground, she believes there is a “full-blown” issue in Gaza.
“It’s horror. It’s – You know, it’s so hard to look at and it’s so hard to hear, also,” McCain said in her interview.
She went on to say that she is hopeful for a ceasefire in Gaza so that people can begin to be fed “in a much faster fashion.” Ms. McCain added that the people in Gaza need “water, sanitation, medicine – it’s all part of the famine — the famine issue.”
