Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – The European Union has committed an additional €9.9 million in funding to support the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) with a particular focus on improving the lives of nearly two million primary school students across various provinces, including Nangarhar, Nuristan, Ghor, Farah, and Jawzjan over the next two years.
The EU’s generous contribution will facilitate the expansion of WFP’s outreach, benefiting an estimated 900,000 boys and 850,000 girls enrolled in primary schools. These students will receive nutritious school snacks, a vital resource that enhances their access to sustenance, ultimately supporting their educational journey.
Raffaella Iodice, EU Chargee d’Affaires to Afghanistan, emphasized the critical role of school feeding programs in addressing education and food security challenges, stating, “Learning with an empty stomach is hard. The school feeding program in Afghanistan helps increase enrollment, attendance, and retention in primary school for boys and girls. School feeding improves learning abilities and the well-being of the children who are the next generation of Afghanistan.”
Harald Mannhardt, the deputy country director of World Food Program Afghanistan, underscored the importance of the initiative by highlighting the stark reality faced by many children in Afghanistan: “Many children in Afghanistan come to school without breakfast, and WFP’s school feeding program provides their first meal of the day. School feeding is an integral part of our activities in the country, where 15 million people – or one-third of the population – do not know where their next meal will come from.”
The EU’s support will result in a much-needed nutrition boost for approximately 1.4 million school children during their morning break. They will receive locally produced fortified biscuits, each weighing 100 grams. These biscuits are a nutritional powerhouse, delivering 450 calories, a blend of fats and proteins, and a rich array of essential vitamins and minerals crucial for children’s growth and development.
Additionally, an estimated 340,000 more children will have their daily nutritional requirements met through a ration of bread made from wheat and soy flour combined with dried fruits and nuts. This nourishing bread is freshly baked in a local bakery, underlining the project’s commitment to supporting the local economy by sourcing ingredients from Afghan farmers.
In a gesture that extends the program’s benefits beyond the classroom, 480,000 female students will receive take-home rations of fortified vegetable oil. This not only contributes to the well-being of the students but also extends its positive impact to their families, enhancing the overall nutritional security of households in the region.
The WFP’s school feeding program in Afghanistan has been instrumental in bridging the gap between food security, improved nutrition, and education for school-aged children. In 2022, over 700,000 primary school students received snacks, with an additional 200,000 girls benefiting from take-home rations. The European Union’s continued support, with this latest €9.9 million contribution, builds on a prior donation of €11 million to WFP’s school feeding program, reaffirming the EU’s commitment to the well-being and education of Afghanistan’s youth.
