The following is an interview transcript with Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, aired on 24 August, 2025 on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brain”.
Margaret Brainon: We now return to a surveillance group about Gaza and that amazing declaration on Friday that the city of Gaza is experiencing man -made famine, and that situations will soon expand. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell now joins us. We want to warn our audience, there will be some disturbing images in this segment. Executive Director Russell, thanks for joining with us. We have talked about disastrous starvation many times in the last few years. Now you have this technical designation- here is rare to see a famine. They project this is about to spread. Can you explain, in real world words, what does it mean for children living there?
Catherine Russell: Okay, thanks, Margaret. I want to say: You know, it is now, about two years from October 7, and since then, Israeli children have been killed and taken hostage, and now we are looking at Palestinian children that finally what we are screaming and shouting for months and months and months, which is a terrible famine. You know, we have estimated at the point that about 18,000 children have already died in Gaza. And they are children who die from an entire range of issues. But when you think about it, they are about 28 children a day. This is a children’s class almost every single day who has died since the beginning of this struggle. We are saying that we are careful, right, it is correct around the famine corner, and it is almost as if you are shouting in an abyss, you know. This is such that it is shocking that this has happened, because, as you said, it rarely happens, but it is not surprising. And what this means, in fact, it is that children are spending months and months without enough food. And we just see a terrible situation where children are on the verge of starvation and are eventually dying of starvation. And I think, you know, for your audience who have not seen it, and hopefully many of them have not done, this is a haunt image. Children are really ruined. And you see it in the rooms where you suddenly know that they are all calm. Children are so calm because they have no energy to cry, and to happen, and especially in a place where food is not far away, isn’t it? There is no reason for this. This did not happen because there were cyclones or, you know, drought. This happened because we could not help these children enough.
Margaret Brainon: And as you know, the Israeli government unit that oversees the Palestinian areas, it is called the Kogat, says that there is no famine. They say that the United Nations data is flawed. The Prime Minister’s office says that these are construction and due to prejudice. Can you explain how you know what you know? We are showing images that we know that journalists have shot- journalists who live inside Gaza, because journalists are not allowed to report in Gaza. How do you know what you are saying is the fact?
Russell: I call me two things about that. There is an IPC, which is an organization that makes this determination, an independent organization. They are technical people. They are not political people, and they go as they go, and they look at issues such as what are the levels of food, what is intense malnutrition levels, how many starvation deaths are, so it is a very technical assessment. And I think we have seen in other places that it is very accurate. I will also say- for me, it is a kind of vulgar whether we are arguing about these conversations whether the functioning works or not. We know that children are dying, right? I am tired of a discussion, well, are we giving correct information or not? First, let the international press inside. Let them determine. I mean, we have talked about this, Margaret, among you, you should be it yourself. Everyone should be able to reach there. It is absent that we are going to rely on the data that we have there, and I can tell you, from the perspective of UNICEF, our people are tortured by it. I mean, I have talked to my employees, and they are looking at children who are incredibly deprived, many thousands of children who have dissection, and you know, this is just a terrible thing for children. And to suggest that anything is going on here, in fact, in my mind, just making the situation worse, right? Just stop the discussion, stop arguing, and solve the problem. Get food there. Take care of these children, make sure they have a prostitute to survive and a distant future.
Margaret Brainon: And the Israeli government controls which goes inside and which goes out. On this question, however, to ensure that the food you eat is the right people: the former US ambassador, Jack Lews, and another Middle-East messenger said that the United Nations agencies cannot like it, but if the Israeli-supported Gaza Gaza Humanist foundation is the only thing that is really allowed to be operated, then probably some compromise. why why not? The United States government is putting $ 30 million to work there. Why not work with them?
Russell: You know, look, I-Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is not a thing that is in line with the way humanist work is done. This is a simple answer. And honestly, you know, if you think about it, the United Nations had 400 places where we would distribute assistance. Gaza had four in the Humanitarian Foundation, okay? And you have seen on television, you have seen this video of these almost apocalypse situations where people are moving towards these places, trying to get food, people are being shot. It is a terrible situation, and it does not work. It is not working well. Now see, I am not- I don’t care much if Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distributes something. Just let us do your work. Let us go inside. We know how to distribute this. And when I say that we, this is not just UNICEF, it is the United Nations, it is another international NGO. We do it worldwide. We have done it for decades. We know how to do this. We know how to do it in such a way that it gets to those who need it. And I, you know, both do. I am fine with it, but at least make sure that humanists can reach there and distribute the help fairly, and make sure that these children are not dying unnecessarily. Nobody wants this. President Trump has said that no one wants this.
Margaret Brainan: He actually did. I want to ask you, as well, Sudan, where there was a large -scale humanitarian crisis. If there is no leading effort to get aid in the United States, is there any other step?
Russell: You know, look, the United States has the ability to have such strength for good, and we need to move them and make them more. Sudan, as you say, is the world’s biggest displacement crisis. Millions of children are moving forward. They are not in school. Now we have a terrible outbreak of cholera, which is very destructive and kills children within hours if they cannot get help. I mean, it is absolutely frightening. And the United States can be such a force to make positive contribution. And I think, you know, other countries are trying, but America can really make a huge difference if they try to do this work, and do it as soon as possible.
Margaret Brainan: And in Sudan, what is the generational effect here? When you don’t see –
Russell: Oh, it is terrible. First, they are not getting food. They are facing terrible sexual violence. I was just in Chad and heard stories that can only break your heart, and it is destructive, and the result, as you say, will last for generations.
Margaret Brainan: Thank you for sharing it. Today it is for us. Thanks for the view. I am Margaret Brainon.
