Portugal supports WFP to improve child nutrition in Lesotho

The contribution will enable WFP to support local vegetable and fruit production for use in school meals, giving children a more varied diet. Almost 1,000 children under five years of age in the Berea district will benefit from the new funding from Portugal.

“If children do not receive adequate nutrients during their first few years of life, it can result in learning difficulties, increased susceptibility to disease, and reduced earnings in the future,” said Emily Doe, WFP’s Acting Country Director in Lesotho. “Portugal’s funding is vital for improving children's nutrition in Lesotho.”

As part of the programme, teachers and school committee members in 72 schools will be taught practical skills in sustainable agriculture through hands-on demonstrations of climate-smart gardening techniques. This initiative aims to empower teachers and school committee members to serve as catalysts for change, enabling them to share knowledge and practices with their families and communities.

Lesotho faces a triple burden of malnutrition – high levels of stunting (low height-for-age), micronutrient deficiencies (a lack of essential vitamins and minerals), and obesity, threatening the country’s social and economic development. According to the Lesotho Demographic and Health Survey (2023–24), one in every three children under five years of age are stunted while more than 7 percent are affected by obesity.

“Portugal is aware of the malnutrition challenges faced by Lesotho, said H.E. Carlos Costa Neves, Portuguese Ambassador to Lesotho and South Africa. Through this funding we pledge our support to advancing Lesotho’s National Strategic Development Goals and hope this contribution could in a way provide some assistance in improving the lives and well-being of Basotho.”

This initiative supports the School Gardens Campaign led by WFP, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition and the Ministry of Education and Training. The Government of Lesotho is also a member of the School Meals Coalition, a global network of over 100 governments and over 140 partners committed to school meals. It drives actions to urgently improve and scale up school meal programmes to ensure that every child can receive a healthy, nutritious meal in school by 2030.

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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 climate change.

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