More than 39 billion in-school meals have been missed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic due to school closures, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and World Food Programme (WFP) reported on Thursday.
“Children who depend on schools for their daily meals are not only losing out on an education but also on a reliable source of nutrition,” UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said in a statement.
“As we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and await vaccine distribution, we must prioritize the reopening of schools and take action to make them as safe as possible, including through renewed investments in proven infection prevention measures like clean water and soap in every school around the world,” Fore added.
The UNICEF said that 24 million schoolchildren are at risk of dropping out of school due to the pandemic.
The agency added that the school feeding programs can provide incentives for the most vulnerable children to return to school.
In a survey data from 68 countries before COVID-19 pandemic, around 50 percent of children aged 13 to 17 years old reported feelings of hunger. Meanwhile, 17 countries showed that in some countries, up to two thirds of adolescents aged 15 to 19 years old were underweight, the UNICEF reported.
“Missing out on nutritious school meals is jeopardizing the futures of millions of the world’s poorest children. We risk losing a whole generation,” WFP Executive Director David Beasley said.
“We must support governments to safely reopen schools and start feeding these children again. For many, the nutritious meal they get in school is the only food they will receive all day,” Beasley added.
The organizations underscored that the schools meals are not only vital in ensuring children’s nutrition, growth and development, they also provide a strong incentive for children especially those from the poorest and most marginalized communities.
The UNICEF and WFP called on governments to prioritize schools for reopening while making sure that health, food, and nutritional needs of children are met through high-quality school feeding programs.