The organisations says over nine million children benefit from the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) and from the feeding schemes at early childhood development (ECD) centres.

For many of these children, the meal at schools or at ECD centres is often their only meal for the day.  The organisations says it is extremely concerning that during the lockdown period, whilst the country battles to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, millions of children are facing hunger.

The organisations are now calling for an urgent joint meeting between Parliament’s Portfolio Committees on Basic Education and Social Development, to outline their plans in ensuring that children have access to basic nutrition. 

The organisations have requested, in a letter to the chairpersons of Parliament’s Portfolio Committees on Basic Education and Social Development, that the departments provide a detailed provincial breakdown of how many children are receiving food relief support from the provincial departments, what such food relief support has specifically included, and what their plan entails moving forward as the country continues to fight against the coronavirus.

OFM News