Back in April, Cindy McCain was confident she could keep her politics siloed from her new role as the World Food Programme’s executive director. But a raft of difficulties, from funding shortfalls to a highly politicized war between Israel and Hamas, are teaching McCain a tough lesson: Neutrality is easier said than done.
A new report from Devex’s U.N. correspondent Colum Lynch and contributor Elissa Miolene shines a light on all the ways McCain has stepped in it as of late, with offenses ranging from tasteless (posting a picture of her dog on Instagram with the caption “fully fed” as hunger in Sudan hit record highs) to decidedly more serious (allegedly skipping a commemoration of over 100 U.N. workers killed in Gaza but attending a ceremony just days later honoring the people of Israel with a prize named for her late husband, former U.S. Sen. John McCain).
WFP also faces financial challenges: As of this month, the agency has received some $7.3 billion, about 31% of its projected needs for 2023. It has cut food aid to Afghanistan, Chad, and Yemen. The decision on Yemen in particular has drawn the ire of charities.