UN report: an increase of 20% in the numbers of children who benefit from national school feeding programs around the world

The program stated in a report issued today, Wednesday, that some low -income countries increased the number of children who receive school meals by 60% during the past two years only. The continent of Africa is leading this increase, as 20 million African children are now receiving food through national school feeding programs, with remarkable progress in Kenya, Madagascar, Ethiopia and Rwanda.

Cindy McCain, Executive Director of the World Food Program, said that governments worldwide, especially in low and medium -income countries, shows the real leadership by choosing to give priority to school feeding programs.

She added that these programs “It has been proven that it is one of the smartest and most effective investments that any nation can do to improve health, education and economic prosperity in the long term for future generations.”.

An investment with economic benefits

The report of school nutrition around the world, a major report issued every two years on the United Nations World Food Program, showed that school nutrition programs are increasing at the fastest pace in countries joining the school feeding alliance, a global network led by more than 100 governments, and six regional bodies, and the World Food Program takes over its general secretariat, and is supported by more than 140 parties from different sectors.

New emerging evidence, published for the first time in the report, shows how school meals can contribute to addressing the learning crisis today, by enhancing learning and cognitive skills, while achieving gains in mathematics and literacy.

The report also sheds light on the wide -sectors effective effect of school nutrition programs, including achieving returns across various sectors, including education, health, social protection and agriculture. Every dollar is invested in school feeding, generating between 7 and 35 dollars in economic benefits.