Transcript: UNICEF’s Catherine Russell “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Dec. 21, 2025

The following is the transcript of an interview with UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Dec. 21, 2025.

---

MARGARET BRENNAN: UNICEF warns that more than 200 million children will need humanitarian assistance next year. The biggest problem right now is Sudan. Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director recently returned from Sudan and South Sudan. Hello to you.

CATHERINE RUSSELL: Hello, Margaret, how are you?

MARGARET BRENNAN: I’m fine, but you- we want attention here for those in need. And I know that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, just on Friday, called for an end to the fighting. He said the US is pushing for a humanitarian agreement to allow some of these aid organizations to operate. But the aid team was beaten when they entered, and he agreed. What challenges are you facing?

RUSSELL: Well, Sudan, right now, is the biggest humanitarian problem that we face. And there’s a lot going on there. One is that children, especially, but people are on the way. Millions of people move around the country. We have famine, a lot of famine, including famine in certain parts of the country. We are also seeing appalling levels of violence – excuse me, including rape, including child abuse. UNICEF made a report on that about a year ago, even children under one year old. Very bad news. And a woman I met in Chad who had fled Darfur told me about an effort to organize rape women in front of their families and communities, really trying to intimidate them and videotape them to humiliate them. So the levels of violence were appalling. We have children who do not study. So the important thing here is that the needs are great. The challenges are absolutely amazing. And I think the world needs to come together. You know, in the short term, for sure, we need better access to help. We need to reach out to all these communities, which is hard to do right now. But the truth is Margaret that what I heard from children all over Sudan was the same thing, that is, I can say to them, you know, what do you think about it? What do you want? And they all say the same thing, that is, we want peace. I think they understand that the only answer here, really, is to solve the political problems so that people can return to some kind of decent life.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, I don’t want to take away from what you just said, about why something like that would be done to children and women in front of their families. The word genocide is used in Sudan. What you describe there about the treatment of gender-based violence, it sounds like you are saying that it is an attempt to destroy society through rape.

RUSSELL: I mean there are atrocities that are intended to intimidate communities, to force them to move, to terrorize them. And you know, they’re tricks that work for sure. And I think he knows that the world needs to look. I mean, Sudan, I know it seems so far away, and so many roads, but it’s also a place where children suffer a lot. And I think especially, you know, now we’re in the holiday season, you know, you want to think about, you know, people have their families and everything else. I mean, kids in a lot of places don’t have–they don’t have these luxuries. They are really suffering. And I think the world needs to pay attention to that. And I commend, you know, Senator Rubio- Secretary Rubio, now for pointing this out, because I think the main thing here is that we need attention to the problem.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, historically the US has been a big contributor to UNICEF, but we’ve seen significant cuts by this administration, including the return of $142 million in funds authorized by Congress. Secretary Rubio said no one died as a result of the aid cuts, and on Friday, he said he was very proud of the changes made in foreign aid. Tell us what the truth is about the cuts.

RUSSELL: Defunding is a challenge. And I think the problem you have to understand is that it’s not just the United States. Almost everyone donates to UNICEF, but to the UN system more broadly, and in the humanitarian sector. So if you put all these things together, the effects are really amazing, because it means that you know- what financial aid we get, now we have to spread it in many places, and with little support from donor countries. So I think you know there are, of course, you know, there’s been tragedies that we’re trying to deal with and there probably always will be, and children are suffering. The United States has always been a proud leader, I think, in humanitarian response and in helping children. And, you know, we’re hoping that some of the money back will be returned to us. We continue to work with the State Department. There are efforts to fund a lot of humanitarian work and the kind of life-saving work we do. But actually, you know, the needs around the world are very big, and it’s the United States and other donors that have to come after that, and the private sector, I should add that’s also important.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And I have to point out that the US is one of the biggest foreign donors to South Sudan, but that foreign aid is threatened at this time because the government is not in line with what the US wants. Let me quickly–

RUSSELL: –South Sudan is a challenge. I was there too, which means, you know, the government there needs to do a better job

MARGARET BRENNAN: Right before I release you. Gaza, how are things?

RUSSELL: Well, and, I would say, thanks to the ceasefire and the administration here was instrumental in doing that, things have gotten a little bit better. We can move around better. But, you know, there is great sadness. Challenges remain. We have a lot of work to do. I mean, you’ve seen all the pictures, the destruction. You know, we still have critical levels of malnutrition. We are trying to find shelter. You know, there’s rain and just the misery of children all around. So I think that, you know, I would say that there is progress with the ceasefire. God willing that holds, and then we can continue to get more help there.

MARGARET BRENNAN: God willing that holds, as you say. Catherine Russell, thank you for your time today. We’ll be back in a little while.