GAZA: The head of the UN’s World Food Programme, Cindy McCain, warned on Thursday that famine-stricken Gaza is “at breaking point” and called for the immediate restoration of the agency’s 200 food distribution points.
“Enough is enough,” McCain declared following her visit to the besieged Palestinian territory, where Israel continues its military offensive against Hamas.
“Gaza is at a breaking point. Desperation is soaring — and I saw it firsthand,” McCain said in a statement.
Her remarks come just days after the United Nations officially declared a famine in Gaza, attributing it to the “systematic obstruction” of humanitarian aid by Israel.
#Gaza is at a breaking point. I've just seen it myself.
@WFP operates in conflict zones all over the world. Families in Gaza are starving—and we know how to deliver at scale.
We must revive our network of 200+ food distribution points, community kitchens & bakeries ASAP.— Cindy McCain (@WFPChief) August 28, 2025
During her visit, McCain traveled to Khan Younis and Deir el-Balah, where she toured a nutrition clinic providing life-saving care for children and spoke with displaced mothers desperately searching for food each day.
“I met starving children receiving treatment for severe malnutrition — and I saw photos of when they were healthy. Today they are unrecognizable,” McCain said.
“We must urgently be able to revive our vast and trusted network of 200 food distribution points across the Strip, community kitchens and bakeries. It is urgent that the right conditions are in place so we can reach the most vulnerable and save lives”, she said.
Cindy McCain met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to advocate for a “surge” in food aid to reach the most vulnerable populations.
She also held talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Ramallah, according to the World Food Programme.
“What we need is a ceasefire,” McCain said. “My heart goes out to the mothers in Gaza, as well as to the mothers of the Israeli hostages, whose children are now starving.”
Israel, which is advancing toward Gaza City, faces growing pressure both domestically and internationally to end its nearly two-year-long military campaign.
Four more Palestinians killed by famine
Health officials in Gaza say that four more Palestinians, among them two children, have died within the last 24 hours from Israeli-forced famine, according to news agency Wafa.
With these latest deaths, the toll of those who have succumbed to starvation has risen to 317, including 121 children.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is rapidly deteriorating under Israel’s blockade, with food and medicine in critically short supply.
Gaza death toll reaches 62,966
The Health Ministry said on Thursday that Israel’s war on Gaza has now killed at least 62,966 Palestinians and wounded 159,266 since 7 October 2023.
It added that the death toll among people seeking aid has risen to 2,180, with more than 16,046 wounded, since Israel introduced a new so-called aid distribution system with the US-based GHF on 27 May that has been widely condemned as a death trap.
