Australia and the World Food Programme (WFP) have donated Rs74mn to fund take-home rations for children covered by the national school meal program in Sri Lanka.

Poor nutrition is one of the biggest drawbacks to education among rural and urban poor children, studies across the world have shown.

A press release from the World Food Program in Colombo said the funds worth US$400,000 will help provide food to “procure and distribute food rations to 80,000 children.”

This is part of the first stage of supplying take-home ration packs to school kids in lieu of midday meals.

“School closures caused by COVID-19 threaten to impact the nutrition status of children who have been deprived of their midday school meals. Take-home food rations form part of WFP’s response to the (COVID-19) pandemic to provide children with continued access to nutrition,” the release said.

The donation is less than the cost of two luxury Range Rover Sports Utility Vehicles beloved by our publicly-funded political leaders.

The launch ceremony of the distribution of ration packs for targeted schools was held recently at the Sri Siddhartha Maha Vidyalaya in Kalapaluwawa, Rajagiriya.

https://economynext.com/wfp-and-australia-donate-food-packs-to-kids-missing-free-midday-meals-due-to-school-closures-72064/