Japan Contributes Food Aid for School Meals and Refugees in Republic of Congo

The Government of Japan has provided a contribution to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to support school meal initiatives and food assistance for refugees in the Republic of Congo. The aid package will supply rice and canned fish directed toward school feeding programs as well as refugees and asylum seekers originating from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic.

According to the WFP, the food contribution aims to sustain school meals, support dietary diversity, and improve student attendance and concentration while lowering food costs for families. Nationally, the WFP provides school meals to 92,000 children, reporting that attendance rates exceed 90 percent in the facilities it assists.

Jean-Luc Mouthou, the Republic of Congo's Minister of Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education and Literacy, noted that the Japanese support implemented via the WFP aids governmental efforts to reinforce school feeding programs and improve educational conditions for vulnerable children.

The food assistance will also be distributed to refugees and asylum seekers residing in the Likouala, Plateaux, and Djoué-Léfini administrative districts. The agency indicated that these populations face difficulties meeting food needs due to limited income opportunities, restricted land access, and recurrent flooding in certain areas.

Hidetoshi Ogawa, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Congo, stated that the food assistance reflects Japan's solidarity with vulnerable displaced families hosted by the country.

Since 2016, Japan has contributed more than USD 16.5 million (equivalent to CFAF 9.65 billion) to WFP operations within the Republic of Congo, funding school feeding initiatives, refugee assistance, and nutrition programs.

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