Phnom Penh (VNA) – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on November 3 that the Government would gradually take over funding for the school meal programme at more than 280 schools currently supported by the World Food Programme (WFP), as the organisation plans to phase out its assistance in the coming years.
Speaking at the inauguration of five new school buildings comprising 55 classrooms in Kampong Thom province, Hun Manet stressed that the Government would proactively allocate budget and strengthen management capacity, with the aim of expanding the programme to more than 7,000 primary schools nationwide. The move is expected to improve students' nutrition and learning conditions.
The school meal programme was launched in 1999 through cooperation between the WFP and the Cambodian Government, initially covering 64 schools. It has since expanded to 1,114 schools, benefiting around 300,000 students. Notably, the Cambodian Government has introduced a system of directly procuring agricultural products from local communities to supply food for the programme, helping improve meal quality while creating markets for local produce and boosting farmers' incomes.
At the event, the PM also reaffirmed the Government's commitment to prioritising education quality at all levels, while encouraging the private sector and philanthropists to contribute additional resources to the field./.
