UN aid official says 17 more trucks entered Sunday, proposed 40 coming Monday

by Olafimihan Oshin - 10/22/23 4:45 PM ET

AP Photo/Amr Nabil
Cindy McCain, executive director of the World Food Program.

Cindy McCain, director of the United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP), said Sunday that 17 more humanitarian aid trucks have entered Gaza and 40 more are expected to arrive on Monday.

McCain, who is the widow of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), confirmed the update during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” telling co-anchor Jonathan Karl that 20 trucks were able to cross the Gaza-Egypt border the day prior.

“We simply have to have this because — because, as I said, people are starving, but also this is a national security issue for everyone in this region,” McCain told Karl. “Starvation and the lack of food is a security issue. And so we just want to make sure that people can feed themselves and that, you know, we have the opportunity and the ability to give them a sustainable life as best we can.”

“But remember, this is a war zone and things are very fluid. And so that’s why these trucks have got to be able to get — we have to be able to get these trucks in safely and sustainably.”

When asked about the concern of the vital aid getting into the hands of the militant group Hamas, McCain replied that there is already a WFP team on site to help with the matter.

“Well, we have a WFP team that’s already on the ground. They’ve been there for a long time. And so we have the implements in place. We are able to track and trace our bags,” McCain added.

“We’re able to make sure from — from an electronic standpoint that our folks who are supposed to get the aid are actually the people that are getting the aid. So, we do the very best we can to make sure that it does go to the right people.”

McCain’s remarks come as Hamas, which the U.S. recognizes as a terrorist organization, launched an attack on Israel two weeks ago, which left 1,400 people dead.

In response, Israel launched attacks on Gaza, an area controlled by Hamas, which have killed at least 4,385 people and wounded 13,561 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

President Biden announced last week that he sent an urgent budget request to Congress for additional aid to Ukraine and Israel, which would amount to $100 billion.