Government to fund meals at more than 200 schools as WFP support falls
The plan is intended to keep school meals going for more than 1,000 students.
Tuesday 3 November · 18:01 · 1 min read
In 30 seconds
- The government says it will take over meal-programme costs at more than 200 schools when WFP reduces its support in two years. [1][2]
- The programme covered 1,114 schools and about 300,000 students nationwide in 2026, according to the prime minister. [1][2]
- The government also buys farm products from local communities to provide food for students and income for farmers. [1][2]
What happened
Prime Minister Hun Manet said on November 3 that the government would take over funding for more than 200 schools when the World Food Programme reduces its support in two years. He said the change is intended to keep the meals programme running and ensure more than 1,000 students continue receiving food. In 2026, the programme served about 300,000 students at 1,114 schools, according to his remarks.
Why it matters
The plan is meant to prevent school meals from stopping at the affected schools and to keep students receiving food. The government says it cannot yet manage feeding programmes at all of Cambodia’s more than 7,000 primary schools.
Background
The programme began in 1999, when WFP and the Cambodian government provided school meals at 64 schools. In 2026, the state was already funding meals at more than 800 schools, while WFP supported more than 280, according to the prime minister’s remarks.
Key terms
- School feeding programme
- A programme that provides food to students at school.
- WFP
- The World Food Programme, a United Nations agency that provides food assistance.
- State and community partnership
- A programme approach in which government and local communities work together on education.
Timeline
- 1999 WFP and the Cambodian government began providing school meals at 64 schools.
- 2026 The programme covered 1,114 schools and about 300,000 students, according to the prime minister.
- November 3, 2026 The prime minister said the government would take over funding at more than 200 schools when WFP reduces support in two years.
Sources (2)
[1] Agence Kampuchea Presse (AKP) Royal Government to Take Over School Feeding Costs as WFP Phases Out Support Read original [2] Kohsantepheap Daily មិនបោះបង់សិស្សឡើយ! សម្តេចបវរធិបតី ប្រកាសរដ្ឋនឹងទទួលខុសត្រូវលើអាហាររូបត្ថម្ភសិស្សនៅពេល WFP បញ្ចប់ជំនួយ 3 Nov Read originalWas this explainer clear?
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