Cindy McCain, executive director of the U.N. World Food Programme, will step down later this year, citing health concerns and ending a three-year tenure marked by diplomatic tensions with Israel.
McCain, the widow of former Arizona Sen. John McCain, informed the agency on Feb. 26 that she plans to leave in three months. The 71-year-old suffered a mild stroke in October and returned to work in January, but said the demands of leading the world’s largest humanitarian organization are “outpacing” her recovery.
“With a heavy heart, I am announcing my intention to step down,” McCain said, calling the decision “one of the most difficult” of her life.
Her tenure included high-profile clashes with Israeli officials during the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly rebuked McCain following a meeting in August, after which both sides issued a joint statement that food aid to Gaza was increasing.
Shortly thereafter, McCain said that half a million people in Gaza were starving, and there was no evidence that Hamas was diverting aid.
“It is regrettable that Mrs. McCain has since issued statements contradicting what she told us in Jerusalem,” Netanyahu stated at the time. “That is a misrepresentation. Israel is enabling a steady flow of aid in sufficient quantities.”
McCain also described an ongoing famine in Gaza, a claim disputed by Israeli officials and analysts. Hamas has not released data on civilian deaths during the period she referenced.
