U.n. World Food Program Head Cindy Mccain Says She Will Step Down For Health Reasons

ROME — U.N. World Food Program Executive Director Cindy McCain announced connected Thursday that she will measurement down arsenic nan caput of nan humanitarian statement successful 3 months to attraction connected her health.

The 71-year-old American suffered a mild changeable successful October 2025 and returned successful early January to nan WFP’s office successful Rome to resume her duties.

“She wasted nary clip assuming nan galore responsibilities of starring nan world’s front-line agency tackling a multitude of hunger crises crossed nan globe, but recovered nan demands of nan occupation were outpacing her recovery,” WFP said successful a statement.

“With a dense heart, I americium announcing my volition to measurement down arsenic nan executive head of nan World Food Program,” McCain said. “Serving this unthinkable statement has been nan grant of a lifetime.”

McCain praised “WFP’s expertise to prevention lives successful nan astir dangerous, destitute and distant locations of nan world, wherever group request america nan most.”

She added she had hoped to decorativeness her word and nan determination to time off nan statement was “one of nan astir difficult decisions I person ever had to make.

”But my wellness has not recovered to a level that allows maine to afloat service nan tremendous demands of this job,” she said.

McCain stressed that “over nan past 3 years, we person delivered life-saving and life-changing assistance for millions of nan world’s astir susceptible group — and this unwavering committedness will beryllium much important than ever successful nan years to come.”

McCain was appointed successful March 2023 to lead nan world’s largest humanitarian statement for a five-year term. She had antecedently served arsenic U.S. ambassador to nan U.N. agencies for nutrient and agriculture nether erstwhile President Joe Biden.

The widow of Republican Sen. John McCain, she collapsed pinch Republicans erstwhile she endorsed Biden for president successful 2020, making her a cardinal surrogate for nan Democrat aft now-President Trump spent years criticizing her hubby and his subject service.

She has since go nan look of nan World Food Program, 1 of nan fewer U.N. agencies that has received bipartisan support for its efforts to thief astir 150 cardinal group confronting conflicts, disasters and impacts of ambiance alteration this year.

McCain and nan WFP person been successful nan spotlight arsenic nan agency has sought to respond to nan humanitarian crises caused by nan ongoing conflict betwixt Russia and Ukraine and Israel’s violative wrong nan Gaza Strip.

McCain had succeeded David Beasley, a erstwhile South Carolina politician who had led WFP done challenging times, including nan COVID-19 pandemic and nan world nutrient situation sparked by Russia’s penetration of Ukraine.

Zampano writes for nan Associated Press.