Text: UNICEF CEO Catherine Russell on “Confronting the Nation with Margaret Brennan”, August 24, 2025

Below is an interview with UNICEF CEO Catherine Russell, who broadcast on the “confrontation with the nation with Margaret Brennan” on August 24, 2025.

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Margaret Brennan: We are now returning to Gaza and this amazing announcement on Friday about a monitoring group witnessed by Gaza City, a man -made famine, and that these conditions will expand soon. UNICEF CEO Catherine Russell is now joining us. We want to warn our viewers, there will be some annoying pictures in this part. CEO Russell, thank you for joining us. We have talked several times over the past few years about the catastrophic hunger. Now you have this technical appointment- very rare to see a famine here. They will offer to spread. Can you explain, in terms of the real world, what does this mean to children who live there?

Catherine Russell: Well, thank you, Margaret. Allow me to say this: As you know, it has been, now, nearly two years ago, since October 7, and since then, Israeli children have been killed and have taken hostages, and now we see Palestinian children faced what we have shouted and screaming for months, months and months, a terrible hall. As you know, we estimated at this stage that about 18,000 children in Gaza have already died. And those children who die from a full set of issues. But when you think about it, this is about 28 children per day. This is almost semesters of children every day who have died since the beginning of this conflict. We used to say that we are, right, this famine is just around the corner, the matter as if you were screaming in the abyss, as you know. It is shocking that this has happened, because, as I said, this happens rare, but it is not surprising. What does it mean, in fact, that children spend months and months without enough food. We see just a terrible situation where children are about to hunger and eventually die of hunger. I think, as you know, to the viewers who did not see this, and we hope that many of them have not done so, it is a haunting picture. Children literally waste. And you see this in the rooms that you know suddenly are calm. Children are very calm because they do not even have energy to cry, seeing this happens, especially in a place where food is not very far, right? There is no reason for that. This did not happen due to the presence of hurricanes or, as you know, dry. This happened because we could not get enough help for these children.

Margaret Brennan: As you know, the Israeli government entity that oversees the Palestinian territories, called Kojat, says there is no famine. They say the United Nations data is defective. The Prime Minister’s office says this is manufacturing and because of bias. Can you explain how you know what you know? We are displaying pictures that know that journalists shoot at journalists who live inside Gaza, because journalists are not allowed to enter Gaza. How do you know what you say is true?

Russell: Let me say two things about it. One of them is the IPC, the organization that makes this decision, is an independent organization. They are people who are technician. They are not political persons, and they are watching this while they are going, and they look at issues such as, what are the levels of food deprivation, what level of acute malnutrition, and the number of deaths related to hunger, so it is a very technical evaluation. And I think we saw elsewhere that this is very accurate. I would also say that for me, it’s a kind of outrage to hold these conversations about whether the methodology is working or not. We know that children die, right? I was tired of discussion, well, do we give the correct information or not? First of all, let’s click the international. Let them make decisions. I mean, we talked about this, Margaret, from you coming, you must be yourself. Everyone should be able to get there. In the absence of that we will have to rely on the data that we have the people there, and I can tell you, from the UNICEF perspective, that our people are tortured by this. I mean, I spoke to our employees, and they see incredibly deprived children, many thousands of children who have amputation, as you know, it is just a terrible thing after the other for children. The suggestion is that anything funny happens here, in my opinion, only which makes the situation worse, right? Just stop discussing, stop the argument, and address the problem. Get the food there. Take care of these children, make sure they have what it is to survive and get a distant future.

Margaret Brennan

The Israeli government controls those who enter and who comes out. Despite the question, although it is to ensure that the food you get reaches the right people: the former American ambassador to Israel, Jack Louis, and another envoy in the east, an envoy in the Middle East said that United Nations agencies may not like it, but if the Israeli Humanitarian Foundation backed by Israel is the only only thing that is really permissible to work, then there is a need for some components. Why- why not? The United States government puts $ 30 million to work there. Why don’t you work with them?

Russell: You know, see, I- the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation methodology is not something that corresponds to the way in which humanity works. This is a simple answer. Frankly, as you know, if you are thinking about it, the United Nations has 400 places where we distribute aid. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was four, well? I watched on TV, I saw this video almost these horrific situations as people flow into these places, try to get food, and are exposed to people. It is a terrible situation, and it does not work. It does not work well. Look now, I do not care- I do not care much if the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation takes some distribution. Just let’s let us do our work too. Let’s enter. We know how to do this distribution. And when I say that we are not only UNICEF, it is the United Nations, it is other international NGOs. We do it around the world. We have done it for decades. We know how to do that. We know how to do this in a way that gets to the people they need. And I, as you know, do both. I am fine with that, but at least make sure that human doctors can enter there and distribute aid fairly, and make sure that these children do not die unnecessarily. Nobody wants it. President Trump said no one wants it.

Margaret Brennan: He did. I want to ask you also about Sudan, as there was a huge humanitarian crisis. If the United States is not leading efforts to help there, does anyone else rise?

Russell: You know, see, the United States has the ability to be this force for good, and we need it to intensify and do more. Sudan, as you say, is the largest displacement crisis in the world. Millions of children in this step. They are not at school. We now have a terrible outbreak of cholera, which is very devastating and killing children within hours if they cannot get help. I mean, it’s very terrible. The United States can be such a force to make positive contributions. I think, as you know, other countries are trying, but the United States can make a much larger difference if they try to do this, and do so as soon as possible.

Margaret Brennan: In Sudan, what is the effect of generations here? When you don’t look –

Russell: Oh, it is terrible. First of all, they do not get food. They face terrible sexual violence. I was only in Chad and heard stories that could break your heart, destroyed, and the results will continue, as you say, for generations.

Margaret Brennan: Thank you for sharing that. This is all for us today. Thank you for watching. I am Margaret Brennan.