Japan Provides Funding to Supply Meals for School Students in Sudan

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Monday that it has received new funding from Japan to provide school meals aimed at increasing student attendance across Sudan.

According to a recent analysis by Save the Children, 13 million out of 17 million school-aged children remain out of school — including 7 million who are enrolled but unable to attend due to ongoing conflict and displacement — while the remaining 6 million are at risk of losing access to education.

In a statement, WFP said it had received 400 million Japanese yen (approximately USD 2.7 million) from the Government of Japan to support the school meals program in Sudan, helping to boost attendance and improve learning outcomes.

The statement added that the new funding would serve as an incentive for children to pursue education, as receiving food at school encourages them to stay in classrooms.

This contribution represents 13% of the USD 14.8 million required by WFP to continue its school meals program from October this year through March next year.