On Thursday June 30, the Government of Tajikistan and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) presented the 2022-2027 State Program on School Feeding Development in the Republic of Tajikistan.

The presentation in Dushanbe was attended by representatives for the Tajik Government, UN agencies active in Tajikistan and the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Dushanbe.

“Thanks to the support of the Government and continued funding from the Russian Federation, school feeding has become a flagship WFP program in Tajikistan, contributing to the wellbeing of hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren across the country,” said Adham Musallam, WFP Representative and Country Director in Tajikistan.

“By providing schoolchildren with healthy, nutritious school meals today, we not only help Tajik children grow and learn better, but also instill a life-long healthy eating habit that can be passed on to future generations,” he added.

School Feeding is WFP’s largest program in Tajikistan, representing WFP’s decade-long commitment to Tajik children and their families.  Since 1999, WFP has been partnering with the Government to implement school feeding in the country, and today some 440,000 schoolchildren in 2,000 schools across 52 districts and towns receive daily fresh meals under the program.  WFP has also supported the renovation and construction of school canteens, bakeries and greenhouses, and has provided expert support on the implementation of school meals.

The Russian Federation remains a key donor to the school feeding program and to WFP’s work in the country, with more than US$ 80 million in funding provided to WFP since 2013.

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest 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.