Kampong Thom:The Royal Government of Cambodia is set to assume responsibility for funding school nutrition programs at over 200 schools, as the World Food Programme (WFP) plans to phase out its assistance in the coming years, Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet announced.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the announcement was made during the inauguration of five new school buildings with 55 classrooms in Kampong Thom province. The school feeding program in the province forms part of the 'Partnership between the State and Communities for Education' initiative, with Kampong Thom being one of the 10 priority provinces selected for this program.

The initiative, which began in 1999, was a collaboration between the WFP and the Royal Government to provide school meals at 64 schools nationwide, aimed at supporting poor communities by improving students' physical health and brain development through adequate nutrition. Since then, the program has expanded significantly, reaching 1,114 schools by 2026 and benefiting approximately 300,000 students.

The Cambodian government has also introduced a scheme to purchase agricultural products directly from local communities. This provides income to farmers and supplies nutritious food to students. However, the government is not yet ready to manage school feeding programs across all 7,000-plus primary schools in the country but is exploring opportunities to expand its responsibilities.

As a preliminary step, the government will gradually take over the program at more than 280 schools currently supported by the WFP, while the State already finances the program at over 800 schools. In two years, as the WFP reduces its assistance to over 200 schools, the Royal Government will take responsibility to ensure the continuation of the program for more than 1,000 students. Further studies are underway to determine the next steps.

The Prime Minister emphasized that investment in education should not only cover the construction of school buildings, teacher training, and the provision of educational materials but also address the nutritional needs of primary school students.