Cindy McCain announced plans on Thursday to step down as the executive director of the World Food Programme in three months, bringing a premature end to a tumultuous term marked by financial retrenchment and internal dissent over her handling of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
McCain, who “suffered a mild stroke” in October, concluded that the demands of leading the world’s chief food agency were too great to permit her adequate time to focus on her recovery, the United Nations food agency said in a statement. She was originally scheduled to serve out a five-year term ending in April 2028.
“With a heavy heart, I am announcing my intention to step down as the Executive Director of the World Food Programme,” McCain said in the statement. “Serving this incredible organization has been the honor of a lifetime.”