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September 18, 2023The Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme, Cindy McCain, has expressed concern that Ukraine has depleted its resources, leaving insufficient funds for food aid to other countries, particularly Afghanistan.
She made these remarks in an interview with ABC News.
McCain highlighted that the world is currently facing a “desperate” food situation, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and donor fatigue, resulting in a reluctance to allocate funds for assistance. Consequently, the UN program is facing a funding shortfall.
When asked who has stopped providing funds, McCain responded, “The world.”
She stated that a significant portion of nations’ resources is now directed towards aiding Ukraine. She emphasized the importance of supporting Ukraine but also pointed out that other hotspots around the world are in equally dire straits as Ukraine.
“Ukraine, in one way or another, has sucked all the oxygen out of the room. And we understand the necessity of supporting Ukraine. But there are other hotspots in the world that are in just as deep despair as Ukraine,” said McCain, the widow of former U.S. Senator John McCain.
McCain also noted that the World Food Programme faces the prospect of suspending its operations in Afghanistan due to insufficient funding.
“We’ve been feeding women and children in Afghanistan, and if we have to leave, the result will be hunger. We don’t have enough money to get through October,” McCain stated.
Commenting on her experiences in various countries, McCain stated that she has seen people fleeing from terrorist groups that are the sole source of sustenance for the population, which poses a threat to national security.
Previously, a representative of the United Nations World Food Programme had reported a reduction in food distributions worldwide, with operations in Afghanistan suffering the most due to a lack of funding. In the next six months, the World Food Programme will require $1 billion to provide essential food assistance to the planned 21 million people.