New Delhi: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) India has said as the schools re-open in India, the mid-day meal scheme will also need to be reactivated with the provision of hot, cooked meals.
According to WFP country director Bishow Parajuli, India offers a shining example through its existing food safety nets and the collaborative response it undertook to try and ensure that the coronavirus-triggered lockdowns did not disrupt school children’s nutrition.
“The involvement of state agencies, civil society organisations and multilateral agencies to avert hunger ensured collaboration, including the creation of a standard operating procedure for procuring, preparing and serving mid-day meals,” Parajuli was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
“The MDM scheme represents predictable support and the lifeline for millions of school children in the country and has a significant impact on the children’s daily diet. As the schools reopen, this all-important scheme will also need to be re-activated with the provision of hot, cooked meals,” said Parajuli said.
Schools across the country were shut in March 2020 to check the spread of COVID-19.
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