Cindy McCain: Gaza ‘On the Brink’ of Not Being Able to Recover from Famine

TAPPER It s a ░░░░░░░░ that has threatened to ░░░░░░░░ the already meager flow ░░░░░░░░ aid into the devastated ░░░░░░░░ And joining us now ░░░░░░░░ the executive director of ░░░░░░░░ World Food Program Cindy ░░░░░░░░ Cindy Ambassador McCain good ░░░░░░░░ see you Thank you ░░░░░░░░ joining us Israel has ░░░░░░░░ also approved opening the ░░░░░░░░ crossing from Israel into ░░░░░░░░ Gaza to get this ░░░░░░░░ needed aid in How ░░░░░░░░ is opening that crossing ░░░░░░░░ you and your workers ░░░░░░░░ the World Food Program ░░░░░░░░ that help hold off ░░░░░░░░ famine that you have ░░░░░░░░ is imminent McCAIN Well ░░░░░░░░ are two entrances There ░░░░░░░░ Erez as well as ░░░░░░░░ Ashdod port And all ░░░░░░░░ that is very important ░░░░░░░░ need to get food ░░░░░░░░ scale up north But ░░░░░░░░ that said we have ░░░░░░░░ make sure that we ░░░░░░░░ to get not trucks ░░░░░░░░ in up the fence ░░░░░░░░ but up the beach ░░░░░░░░ but also through the ░░░░░░░░ entrances We need more ░░░░░░░░ This just isn t ░░░░░░░░ And as you know ░░░░░░░░ re literally on the ░░░░░░░░ of going over the ░░░░░░░░ over the cliff with ░░░░░░░░ and not being able ░░░░░░░░ recover from it TAPPER ░░░░░░░░ Secretary Blinken praised the ░░░░░░░░ by Netanyahu to open ░░░░░░░░ crossing but he said ░░░░░░░░ real test is results ░░░░░░░░ do you expect your ░░░░░░░░ will be able to ░░░░░░░░ through the Erez crossing ░░░░░░░░ have you seen any ░░░░░░░░ evidence yet on the ░░░░░░░░ that more aid is ░░░░░░░░ to get in MCCAIN ░░░░░░░░ there are certainly meetings ░░░░░░░░ have been had and ░░░░░░░░ m aware of some ░░░░░░░░ them and I know ░░░░░░░░ there s plenty more ░░░░░░░░ on right now Please ░░░░░░░░ this though and so ░░░░░░░░ viewers understand WFP stands ░░░░░░░░ We have right now ░░░░░░░░ outside on the border ░░░░░░░░ for 1 1 million ░░░░░░░░ for three months We ░░░░░░░░ need to get it ░░░░░░░░ That s why these ░░░░░░░░ are so important and ░░░░░░░░ crossings are needed as ░░░░░░░░ know TAPPER You have ░░░░░░░░ sounding the alarm about ░░░░░░░░ crisis especially in Northern ░░░░░░░░ for months now Why ░░░░░░░░ you think there has ░░░░░░░░ such a holdup getting ░░░░░░░░ aid into Gaza Is ░░░░░░░░ because of security concerns ░░░░░░░░ weapons might be smuggled ░░░░░░░░ Is it punitive because ░░░░░░░░ October 7 attacks were ░░░░░░░░ horrific the hostages still ░░░░░░░░ in Gaza What is ░░░░░░░░ reason for the blockade ░░░░░░░░ it s been McCAIN ░░░░░░░░ from our experience we ░░░░░░░░ just had difficulties getting ░░░░░░░░ the checkpoints The Israeli ░░░░░░░░ the Israelis take a ░░░░░░░░ at the trucks and ░░░░░░░░ ray them that s ░░░░░░░░ in a very efficient ░░░░░░░░ effective manner It s ░░░░░░░░ once we get in ░░░░░░░░ many times either the ░░░░░░░░ foot s not talking ░░░░░░░░ the left foot or ░░░░░░░░ know it just depends ░░░░░░░░ of course you have ░░░░░░░░ the examples of when ░░░░░░░░ were looted very heavily ░░░░░░░░ are desperate And you ░░░░░░░░ I both know you ░░░░░░░░ do anything to feed ░░░░░░░░ children So we have ░░░░░░░░ remember this is an ░░░░░░░░ thing that s going ░░░░░░░░ and it s something ░░░░░░░░ we as humanitarians must ░░░░░░░░ able to get in ░░░░░░░░ our humanitarian principles and ░░░░░░░░ aid in such a ░░░░░░░░ TAPPER Access is also ░░░░░░░░ Gaza also extremely limited ░░░░░░░░ journalists So can you ░░░░░░░░ a picture based on ░░░░░░░░ you have seen or ░░░░░░░░ on what your aid ░░░░░░░░ have told you about ░░░░░░░░ how dire the crisis ░░░░░░░░ become What is the ░░░░░░░░ of the food shortage ░░░░░░░░ for children McCAIN Well ░░░░░░░░ are dying as we ░░░░░░░░ And those that are ░░░░░░░░ dying or haven t ░░░░░░░░ yet are so emaciated ░░░░░░░░ lacking so much in ░░░░░░░░ way of important nutrients ░░░░░░░░ this particular time in ░░░░░░░░ life cycles they won ░░░░░░░░ if they do live ░░░░░░░░ will never recover from ░░░░░░░░ So it s much ░░░░░░░░ than just getting food ░░░░░░░░ It s about the ░░░░░░░░ of foods that we ░░░░░░░░ and making sure that ░░░░░░░░ can get certainly foods ░░░░░░░░ adults but most importantly ░░░░░░░░ for younger children who ░░░░░░░░ are in desperate need ░░░░░░░░ nutrients right now TAPPER ░░░░░░░░ s this news this ░░░░░░░░ that the Israeli military ░░░░░░░░ that they re withdrawing ░░░░░░░░ ground forces from Khan ░░░░░░░░ in Southern Gaza Would ░░░░░░░░ mean anything significant for ░░░░░░░░ World Food Program or ░░░░░░░░ aid workers Would it ░░░░░░░░ it easier to get ░░░░░░░░ to people who need ░░░░░░░░ McCAIN I really don ░░░░░░░░ know I don t ░░░░░░░░ the implications of the ░░░░░░░░ yet And I m ░░░░░░░░ obviously I m not ░░░░░░░░ to those decisions and ░░░░░░░░ discussions at all What ░░░░░░░░ do know is that ░░░░░░░░ the ability to gain ░░░░░░░░ and to be able ░░░░░░░░ get our food in ░░░░░░░░ get it in at ░░░░░░░░ more importantly people are ░░░░░░░░ people are going to ░░░░░░░░ and die at a ░░░░░░░░ faster rate TAPPER You ░░░░░░░░ just reached the one ░░░░░░░░ mark as the executive ░░░░░░░░ of the World Food ░░░░░░░░ I know you have ░░░░░░░░ doing a lot of ░░░░░░░░ important work in other ░░░░░░░░ around the world such ░░░░░░░░ Sudan and Haiti What ░░░░░░░░ your hopes for what ░░░░░░░░ to be accomplished in ░░░░░░░░ places during your second ░░░░░░░░ on this job McCAIN ░░░░░░░░ I m hoping that ░░░░░░░░ world does not lose ░░░░░░░░ of these countries that ░░░░░░░░ in such desperate need ░░░░░░░░ now Gaza is getting ░░░░░░░░ the attention and understandably ░░░░░░░░ we cannot forget Sudan ░░░░░░░░ Congo Somalia Yemen Haiti ░░░░░░░░ you mentioned These are ░░░░░░░░ of the world that ░░░░░░░░ literally on the brink ░░░░░░░░ causing some even larger ░░░░░░░░ crisis than are already ░░░░░░░░ happening right now And ░░░░░░░░ speak specifically to Sudan ░░░░░░░░ that TAPPER Cindy McCain ░░░░░░░░ you so much for ░░░░░░░░ here And thank you ░░░░░░░░ always for the work ░░░░░░░░ do.”
McCAIN: “Thank you.”