WFP and the Government of Australia help provide take-home rations to 80,000 children
COLOMBO – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Australian Government are supporting the Government of Sri Lanka with take-home rations for children covered by the national school meal programme.
Funds worth US$ 400,000 (LKR 74 million) contributed by the Australian Government through WFP were provided to the Ministry of Education to procure and distribute food rations. Some 80,000 children who could no longer have their school meals due to school closures will be covered under the first stage of the distribution.
The launch ceremony for the distribution of the ration packs for targeted schools was held on 15 July at the Sri Siddhartha Maha Vidyalaya in Kalapaluwawa, Rajagiriya. The inaugural event was conducted under the auspices of the Secretary of the Ministry of Education, N.H.M Chitrananda and the Secretary of Internal Trade, Food Security and Consumer Welfare, Badrani Jayawardena, together with WFP Country Director, Brenda Barton.
Take-home food rations form part of WFP’s response to meet the food and nutrition needs of children. Each pack consists of eggs, lentils and other dry commodities specified by the Ministry to ensure diet diversity for children and their families.
Photo caption: Brenda Barton, WFP Country Director, handing a take-home ration pack to a student of Sri Siddhartha Maha Vidyalaya, Kalapaluwawa.
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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies, building prosperity and supporting a sustainable future for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
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