United States national Cindy McCain took over Wednesday as the new head of the World Food Programme (WFP). The new Executive Director said in her first statement that her priorities for the United Nations agency were increasing its resources, improving its effectiveness and scaling up partnerships and innovation.
McCain takes the helm of the world’s largest humanitarian organization, which last year delivered food assistance to a record 158 million people around the world. Food insecurity remains at unprecedented levels in 2023 as conflict, economic shocks, climate extremes and rising fertilizer prices continue to disrupt food production globally.
“Hunger is soaring, resources are running dangerously low and ration cuts are coming if we don’t have the money to get food to those who need it most. Without the funds, we simply cannot feed as many people,” McCain said.
“My priorities are clear: increase our resources, improve our effectiveness, and scale up partnerships and innovation to bring modern solutions to those most in need.”
WFP estimates that more than 345 million people worldwide are facing crisis levels of food insecurity in 2023, an increase of almost 200 million since early 2020. Of these, 43 million are just one step away from famine.
The new Executive Director stressed that no organization can solve world hunger alone, and that global cooperation is critical to save the millions of lives at risk. She said one of her first actions as WFP chief will be to set up a taskforce on innovation, bringing together the best minds in both the public and private sectors to recommend measurable steps to address hunger.
“We need even closer collaboration with our partners to reverse this unparalleled crisis,” McCain said. “Today we are asking new friends – especially from the private sector – to step up and join us. The world must not turn its back on the hungry.”
The new Executive Director begins her tenure at a time when the World Food Programme's resources are insufficient to provide aid to millions of people suffering the most severe hunger.
Recently, the UN agency announced that it has been forced to drastically reduce critical lifesaving assistance in Afghanistan to vulnerable people due to lack of funds. In March, the WFP cut food rations in the South Asian country for four million people in half.
McCain has been serving as the US ambassador to the three UN food and agriculture agencies in Rome since 2021. She is the widow of former US Senator John McCain. The new WFP chief takes over from former South Carolina governor David Beasley, who was Executive Director from 2017 until now.
The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization. The UN agency, awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize, is saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to support people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. The World Food Programme works in over 120 countries and territories. For millions of people worldwide, WFP assistance can make the difference between life and death.
Further information
Full text: Ambassador Cindy McCain takes the helm at WFP at critical moment for global food security, WFP press release, April 5, 2023
https://www.wfp.org/news/ambassador-cindy-mccain-takes-helm-wfp-critical-moment-global-food-security