Calls are growing in Congress and among Trump administration officials for Cindy McCain to resign as executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme after months of reported failures to deliver emergency food into the Gaza Strip and widespread diversion and looting of aid.
Critics point to UN tracking data and internal accounts that show large-scale diversion of convoys, and they question McCain’s management of the WFP, which last year spent nearly $10 billion on aid worldwide, including about $4.5 billion in U.S. contributions. A senior U.S. official, speaking to the New York Post, described the situation as "wild incompetence," saying the agency had failed to work effectively with Israel’s military and local partners to prevent armed actors from seizing supplies.
According to a UN data tracking dashboard cited by critics, in August only two of 2,309 WFP trucks entering Gaza reached their intended destinations without being intercepted or cleared out; nearly 33 tons of food supplies have been taken from vehicles since May. Another set of statistics cited by critics said just 16.5% of UN aid trucks reached their final destinations without diversion between July 27 and Sept. 2. Former WFP and U.S. officials said much of the looted aid has been sold on black markets, to the likely benefit of Hamas.
Former colleagues and U.S. officials described McCain as absent and insufficiently operational. One former WFP official called her "a disaster," saying McCain appeared to run the agency from Arizona and left day-to-day operational decisions to New York-based staff. A former Trump national security official said McCain had rejected proposals to coordinate security for convoys with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and other partners, arguing that such protection would "militarize" aid operations.
McCain, who was appointed by President Joe Biden and approved by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to a five-year term beginning in April 2023, has defended the agency’s work while saying more aid is needed. In an interview on CBS News' "Face the Nation," she said "there’s not enough food getting in" and called for a full cease-fire to allow aid to reach more people. Her office did not respond to requests for further comment through the WFP, and the agency did not answer a separate request for comment, according to those pursuing the story.
The dispute also included an August exchange with Israeli officials. Representatives of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said McCain had expressed approval for the pace of aid deliveries during a meeting in Jerusalem, and later accused her of contradicting that assessment publicly. McCain said in public comments that while some increases in deliveries had been possible, the overall volume remained insufficient.
Republican lawmakers have been among McCain’s harshest critics. Jonathan Wilcox, deputy chief of staff to Rep. Darrell Issa, said U.S. taxpayers have a right to "transparency, efficiency and cooperation" after billions in aid paid through international organizations. Sen. Lindsey Graham, after visiting the Kerem Shalom crossing on Aug. 28, said he blamed Hamas for the humanitarian crisis but expected Israel to work with international organizations to improve deliveries.
Some Republicans and State Department officials have defended McCain and signaled she should be allowed to finish her term. Others inside the administration have discussed possible successors should she step down. Sources familiar with the conversations have named Kip Tom, a former U.S. ambassador to UN agencies for food and agriculture from 2019 to 2021, among possible candidates.
The debate over the WFP’s handling of Gaza aid comes as the White House and U.S. allies push for diplomatic leverage to secure a cease-fire and improve humanitarian access. A former WFP official told critics that humanitarian operations can be an important tool of soft diplomacy to reduce conflict and enhance U.S. national security, but said effective management and coordination are prerequisites.
Reps for the World Food Programme did not respond to a request for comment. Administration officials and lawmakers said discussions were ongoing about how to respond if McCain does not step down voluntarily, including whether to press for a leadership change at the multilateral agency funded in part by U.S. taxpayers.
The controversy highlights tensions between operational realities on the ground in Gaza, competing narratives from governments and aid agencies, and scrutiny in Washington over how U.S. dollars are used in complex conflict settings. Lawmakers pressing for answers said they plan to seek greater transparency and verification of aid deliveries. McCain’s supporters say she should be given time to address the problems from within the agency and that sudden leadership changes could complicate relief efforts.
As of the latest reports, no formal resignation or ouster has been announced, and internal and external discussions over WFP leadership and strategy continue.