Japan supports school meals and food assistance for refugees in the Republic of Congo

The contribution will provide rice and canned fish to support school meals, while also contributing to food assistance for refugees and asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic. In participating schools, the food will help sustain school meals and support children’s dietary diversity, attendance, concentration and learning, while reducing food expenses for their families. Across the country, WFP provides school meals to 92,000 children, with attendance rates exceeding 90 percent in the schools it supports.

“School meals help children attend school regularly and learn in better conditions. Japan’s support, implemented with WFP, will protect these benefits for thousands of students while easing the burden on their families. It also advances the Government’s efforts to strengthen school feeding and give every child, especially the most vulnerable, a better chance of success,” said Jean-Luc Mouthou, Minister of Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education and Literacy in the Republic of Congo.

Food assistance will also support refugees and asylum seekers in Likouala, Plateaux and Djoué-Léfini administrative districts. Limited income opportunities and access to land make it difficult for many refugee families to meet their food needs, particularly in areas affected by recurrent flooding.

“The Republic of Congo has long welcomed people fleeing instability. Through this food assistance, Japan stands in solidarity with families facing acute vulnerability,” said Hidetoshi Ogawa, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Congo.

Since 2016, the Government of Japan has contributed over USD 16.5 million, equivalent to CFAF 9.65 billion, to WFP operations in the Republic of Congo, supporting school feeding, assistance for refugees and nutrition interventions.

“A daily school meal supports children’s health and learning, while food assistance provides vital support to refugees and asylum seekers struggling to meet their basic needs. We thank the Government and people of Japan for their continued partnership,” said Gon Myers, WFP Representative and Country Director in the Republic of Congo.

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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of weather extremes.

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