The Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme, Cindy McCain has announced plans to step down from her position, citing health concerns months after suffering a mild stroke.
“I had truly hoped I could finish out my term, but my health has not recovered to a level that allows me to fully serve the enormous demands of this job,” she said in a statement posted on X.
“This is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make,” she added.
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McCain, 71, widow of the late U.S. Republican Senator John McCain, took up the job in 2023 after serving as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations agencies for Food and Agriculture.
In October, she experienced a mild stroke but was expected to make a full recovery, according to a WFP statement. She traveled home to Arizona to recover and returned to the headquarters in Rome in January.
Her departure allows U.S. President Donald Trump, who has heavily criticized the United Nations, to propose a replacement to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
WFP is headed by an Executive Director, who is appointed jointly by the U.N. Secretary-General and the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for a five-year term, according to the program’s website.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the food assistance arm of the United Nations and the largest humanitarian organization fighting hunger worldwide. It was established in 1961 and is headquartered in Rome, Italy.
WFP’s main mission is to end global hunger and ensure that people affected by conflict, disasters, and poverty have access to enough nutritious food. The organisation operates in more than 120 countries and territories, providing life-saving support to millions of people every year.
Reuters