World Food Programme pauses operations in Gaza for safety concerns: McCain

World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain said its operations are paused in Gaza due to concerns about the safety of its workers.

CBS’s Margaret Brennan asked McCain on “Face the Nation” how food distribution is going in Gaza now that the U.S. pier for humanitarian aid has been reopened. The U.S. military said Saturday that the first aid from the pier was delivered to Gaza after it was recently repaired, The Associated Press reported.

“Well, right now, we’re paused because I’m concerned about the safety of our people after the incidents yesterday,” she said.

“Two of our warehouses, warehouse complex, were rocketed yesterday, so we’ve stepped back just for the moment to make sure that we’re on safe terms and on safe ground before we’ll restart. But the rest of the country is operational,” she added.

She said one of the organization’s workers was injured in the rocket attack that hit one of their locations. She said she didn’t know how they were attacked when asked, noting that that was a “good question.”

“It’s the kind of thing that’s why a cease-fire is necessary. That’s why we need to stop this so that we can get in at scale with our aid and other aid from other organizations as well. We can’t continue this in a way, because what almost happened in the north with famine could happen in the south,” she said.

“And so that’s what we’re trying to avoid right now. And it’s been very difficult, just because of what’s going on,” she added.

World leaders and aid organizations have repeatedly warned of a humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza amid Israel’s operations in the territory. The U.S. military built the pier for humanitarian aid off the coast of Gaza last month, but it needed to be repaired after high winds and seas damaged it. 

The Associated Press contributed.