WFP Awarded $110 Million from the United States Department of Agriculture for School Meals in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Laos and Rwanda

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes four awards totaling $110 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support critical school meals programs across Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Laos and Rwanda. The funding will benefit nearly half a million children and their communities in more than 1,600 pre-primary and primary schools across the four countries.

The U.N. World Food Programme has received the awards through a competitive process operated by USDA’s McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program (McGovern-Dole), which has a long history of supporting the U.N. World Food Programme’s efforts to promote food security and improve education.

In each of the four countries, the award will fund a five-year initiative aimed at improving education, nutrition and health for children – particularly girls – through collaboration with national and local governments and community partners. In addition to a donation of U.S.-grown food, the awards include nearly $11 million allocated to procure local and regional produce for school meals. As part of its long-term strategy, the U.N. World Food Programme works with governments to improve the scale and quality of school meals programs and has supported 50 countries to transition to nationally run initiatives.

“These generous awards from the USDA McGovern-Dole Program are game changers for children in Ethiopia, Laos, Rwanda and Bangladesh and underscores the U.S. commitment to combating global hunger and promoting education,” said Matthew Nims, the director of the U.N. World Food Programme’s office in Washington, D.C. “School meals not only encourage children to come to and stay in school where they can learn, but they also improve nutrition, promote gender equality, and benefit the wider community by supporting local agriculture and markets.”

Through its McGovern-Dole Program, named after former U.S. Senators George McGovern and Robert Dole, the United States is the largest donor to the U.N. World Food Programme’s school meals programs globally.

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The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and the world’s leading humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

The U.N. World Food Programme also hosts the Secretariat of the School Meals Coalition, a more than 100 government-led and multi-sectoral partner (+130) supported initiative that aims to ensure that every child has the opportunity to receive a healthy, nutritious daily meal by 2030.  

For more information about the U.N. World Food Programme’s school meals programs and their impact, please visit School Meals Coalition | A healthy meal every day for every child

The USDA McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program (McGovern-Dole) funds school meals and education and nutrition programs for women, infants, and children in countries with high food insecurity. By providing school meals, teacher training, and related education and nutrition support, McGovern-Dole projects help boost school enrollment, increase attendance and improve reading outcomes and literacy results. The program provides for the donation of U.S. agricultural commodities, local and regional procurement of agricultural commodities, and financial and technical assistance to support school feeding and maternal and child nutrition projects. For more information, visit: https://www.fas.usda.gov/programs/mcgovern-dole-food-education-program.

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For more information, please contact: rene.mcguffin@wfp.org; WFP/DC, Tel: +1 771 245 4268