(5 April 2016) The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has launched a school meals program, funded by the Italian Cooperation for Development, in support of Lebanese and Syrian children who attend public elementary schools in Lebanon. “By providing daily nutritious meals to children at school, WFP is able to guarantee them a better nutritional consumption, and encourages parents to send them to school regularly,” said the director of the WFP in Lebanon, Dominik Heinrich. Meals include a carton of milk or fruit juice, locally produced snacks and fruit. The arrival of more than a million Syrian refugees in the last five years has put a strain on the Lebanese public services, including education. To cope with the new situation, more than 250 public schools in the country have introduced a system of double shifts, allowing the entry of a greater number of students. This program allows to provide daily nutritious meals to 10,000 children attending 13 of these public elementary schools. The selected schools are located in the most vulnerable communities in Lebanon, identified by UNICEF and UNHCR. The program is implemented in close cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. (Red)
