"Open the borders. Let aid in.” Mercy Corps CEO on the crisis in Gaza

People in Gaza are facing starvation in staggering numbers. The deepening crisis is exacerbated by the Israeli government’s ongoing blockade of basic food supplies. Near-daily outbreaks of violence at Gaza food distribution sites have left  more than a thousand Palestinians dead as of August 2025, and thousands more injured.

“At this point, people need more than food,” said Mercy Corps CEO, Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, who appeared on “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer. “They need malnutrition treatment. They need therapeutic foods. They need medical care. We need to go in with complete solutions to stop this from really tipping into a mass death event.”

Tjada underscores how a ceasefire, reopened U.N. aid corridors, and full humanitarian access is urgently needed to prevent mass starvation now unfolding before the world’s eyes.

Watch the segment: “Bare minimum" of aid trucks coming into Gaza right now”