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School meals at risk for 1.3 million children in west, central Africa: UN

Xinhua, August 31, 2016 Adjust font size:

Over 1.3 million children in West and Central Africa risk missing out on school meals from the World Food Program (WFP) due to lack of fund, said the UN Spokesperson Office on Tuesday.

According to WFP, as a consequence of dwindling financial resources for its school meal programs, more than half a million children across Cameroon, Mali, Mauritania and Niger would start the school year without the meals next month.

By the end of 2016, assistance will run out for a further 700,000 children in 11 other countries, it added.

WFP Regional Director for West Africa Abdou Dieng said school meals have been a lifeline for children in most countries in West and Central Africa in the grip of chronic hunger and malnutrition.

Therefore, the agency is appealing for 48 million U.S. dollars to fund its school meal programs to continue the assistance to children in the region. Enditem