When Cindy McCain, head of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), stepped into Gaza on August 28, 2025, she was greeted by a scene of devastation that, as she put it, “begs for Israel to allow an immediate surge of humanitarian assistance into the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.” Her visit came hot on the heels of a major report by food security experts declaring Gaza City to be in the throes of the highest level of famine—a crisis directly linked to Israel’s destruction of the area and its ongoing blockade of most humanitarian aid, according to Keystone-SDA and HuffPost.
“Gaza is at a breaking point. Desperation is soaring—and I saw it firsthand,” McCain said in a statement, echoed across her social media and official briefings. She didn’t mince words: “We must urgently be able to revive our vast and trusted network of 200 food distribution points across the Strip, community kitchens and bakeries. It is urgent that the right conditions are in place so we can reach the most vulnerable and save lives.”
Her journey took her to Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, where she visited a nutrition clinic and met displaced Palestinian mothers. These women described the nearly impossible task of scraping together enough food for their families—sometimes even resorting to searching for scraps just to keep their children alive. “I met starving children receiving treatment for severe malnutrition—and I saw photos of when they were healthy. Today they are unrecognizable,” McCain recounted, her words underscoring the gravity of the man-made starvation crisis. According to HuffPost, she has been a consistent voice against what she calls an engineered famine.
The numbers are staggering. Half a million people in Gaza are starving, with many more teetering on the edge of starvation, McCain reported. The WFP, which operates in conflict zones worldwide, knows how to deliver at scale, but the challenge in Gaza is extraordinary. “The desperation is overwhelming. We can reach them. We need safe routes and sustained access. We must deliver at the scale this crisis demands,” she insisted.
In the past two weeks, there has been a modest increase in aid—about 100 trucks per day, according to WFP data cited by Keystone-SDA. But this, McCain and the WFP say, is nowhere near enough to support Gaza’s besieged population.
Much of the population has been forced southward, seeking food from the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Yet, for many, the journey is fraught with peril. Aid organizations have repeatedly criticized Israel’s decision to route food distribution through the GHF rather than trusted UN mechanisms—a move they argue puts civilians at greater risk. The United Nations has highlighted that people must walk miles through active war zones to reach these centers, with fatal incidents reported near distribution points.
Israel, for its part, remains committed to the GHF, a system introduced in May after nearly three months of a total blockade on aid deliveries. The stated aim, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, is to prevent Hamas from diverting humanitarian aid. Israel has announced new GHF distribution centers in the south and plans to close the center in Tel al-Sultan near Rafah. This will bring the total number of centers in Gaza to five, but aid groups warn that the system is still inadequate and dangerous.
Despite mounting evidence of widespread hunger and malnutrition, Netanyahu has steadfastly denied that famine exists in Gaza. He dismissed the recent IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) report—considered authoritative by the international community—calling it “an outright lie” and claiming it was based on misinformation from Hamas. Netanyahu’s office later stated that he and McCain had agreed to “redouble efforts to accelerate and maintain the flow of humanitarian goods to Gaza in light of the acute emergency on the ground.” The statement also emphasized that humanitarian aid should reach “the most vulnerable people where they are, and that aid goes exclusively to the civilian population.”
COGAT, Israel’s military and aid coordination agency, maintains that Palestinians are receiving sufficient aid, even as reports and images of malnourished children and hostages circulate globally. Netanyahu has spoken out about images released by Hamas showing visibly malnourished hostages, but continues to reject claims of famine among the broader population.
The situation has drawn sharp criticism from international leaders. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on Israel to halt its announced plans to capture Gaza City, warning that “hundreds of thousands of civilians would once again be forced to flee and families would be put in even greater danger. This must stop. There is no military solution to this conflict.” Guterres described the extent of death and destruction in Gaza as “unprecedented in recent history,” calling the territory “littered with rubble, corpses and examples of possible serious violations of international law.” He demanded an “immediate and lasting ceasefire” and far better humanitarian access, reminding Israel of its obligations as an occupying power to ensure the supply of food, water, medicine, and other essentials.
The humanitarian crisis has had ripple effects far beyond the region. Reports of malnourished children have fueled international outrage and prompted countries such as France, Canada, and Australia to announce plans to recognize a Palestinian state. Meanwhile, Germany has halted some arms exports to Israel following Netanyahu’s announcement to extend the war in Gaza.
McCain also met with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in the West Bank to discuss the dire situation. Her warning was stark: if Israel does not allow an immediate surge of aid, Deir al-Balah will join Gaza City in being classified as a famine zone next month. She stressed that the famine, which she described as engineered by Israel, would not only worsen malnutrition among Palestinian civilians but also among Israeli hostages held in the territory.
“What we need is a ceasefire,” McCain declared. “We can quickly scale-up humanitarian aid to reach the most vulnerable inside Gaza, support the return of all hostages and lay the foundation for peace and stability.”
As Gaza’s agony unfolds under the gaze of the world, the calls for action grow louder. The question remains: will the international community—and those with the power to open the flow of life-saving aid—heed these warnings before the next famine classification becomes a grim reality?