NEW YORK – Cindy McCain, widow of Sen. John McCain and head of the U.N. World Food Program, experienced a mild stroke this week and is reportedly recovering “well,” stated a press release from the humanitarian organization on Thursday.
The statement mentioned that McCain, 71, is anticipated to achieve a “full recovery” and will be traveling from Rome, where the WFP is headquartered, to Arizona to concentrate on her recuperation. She plans to resume her role once she receives medical clearance in four to six weeks.
“I want to thank the medical staff in Italy for the excellent treatment I received,” expressed McCain. “My recovery is progressing well thanks to their outstanding care.”
Appointed in March 2023 to lead the world’s most extensive humanitarian organization, McCain served previously as U.S. ambassador to the U.N. agencies for food and agriculture during former President Joe Biden’s tenure. McCain diverged from the Republican Party by endorsing Biden for the presidency in 2020, playing a significant role for the Democrat after now-President Donald Trump levied criticisms against her husband and his military service.
Subsequently, she has become the public face of the World Food Program, one of the few U.N. entities gaining bipartisan support in its mission to assist nearly 150 million people facing conflicts, disasters, and climate change impacts this year. McCain and the WFP have been prominent as the agency navigates the humanitarian crises instigated by the ongoing conflicts involving Russia and Ukraine and Israel’s activities within the Gaza Strip.
In late August, following her visit to Gaza, McCain informed The Associated Press it was “very evident” that there is insufficient food in the Palestinian territory. She mentioned having discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the urgent necessity for increased aid.
Her comments came a week after the world’s leading authority on food crises said the Gaza Strip’s largest city is gripped by famine, and that it was likely to spread across the territory without a ceasefire and an end to restrictions on humanitarian aid.
“I personally met mothers and children who were starving in Gaza,” she said. “It is real and it is happening now,”
An advocate for children, McCain has served on the board of directors for Operation Smile, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing facial deformities for children around the world, visiting India, Morocco and Vietnam, the joint announcement said.
McCain succeeded David Beasley, a former South Carolina governor who had led WFP through challenging times, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the global food crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Beasley was at the helm when the World Food Program was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020, in part for being “a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.”
Carl Skau, the deputy executive director of WFP, is expected to oversee the organization’s day-to-day operations until McCain’s return.
In the statement Thursday, McCain said she has “full confidence” in her leadership team’s ability “to stay laser-focused on delivering urgently needed food assistance to the more than 100 million people WFP is working to serve across 87 countries.”
She added, “The fight against hunger has never been more critical, and I am incredibly proud of the work our teams do every day. I look forward to being back in the field soon — alongside WFP teams — pushing back against famine and supporting communities in need.”
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