Russian Ambassador Vladimir Kalinin handed over 47 metric tons of cooking oil to the Ministry of Education and Sports at the United Nations World Food Program’s (WFP) warehouse in Vientiane on 22 October. The oil will be used to cook lunch for primary school students in 12 districts of Luang Namtha and Phongsaly provinces, many of which were impacted by the recent floods.
The shipment of 3,400 boxes, each containing 15 bottles of fortified vegetable oil, is part of a larger donation from Russia to school meals in Laos, including also canned fish, with a total contribution value of USD 2 million. The food commodities are arriving to Laos in two shipments, and distribution to schools will begin at the start of the next academic semester.
Since 2018, Russia has been a partner of WFP, supporting the Lao government’s work in community resilience building and school meals.
“This food donation for children in schools in rural areas of Laos is going hand-in-hand with Russia’s ongoing systems strengthening and capacity building support to school meals in four northern provinces of the country. We believe that access to a daily healthy meal in schools is a good way to counter malnutrition on scale and create a strong workforce for the future,” said Russian Ambassador to Laos, Vladimir Kalinin.
Malnutrition continues to be a pressing public health challenge in Laos, particularly affecting children and vulnerable populations. Recent reports indicate that approximately 33 percent of children under five years old are stunted, reflecting chronic malnutrition that hampers their growth and development. Additionally, around 8 percent of children in the same age group suffer from wasting, a severe condition resulting from acute food scarcity.
“School meals play a vital role in keeping children in school, because they take pressure off families who are struggling to put enough healthy food on the table. This is all the more important in the communities who were hit by the recent floods, losing their food stocks and their next harvest. The food donations from Russia also help the National School Lunch Program of the Government of Laos continue in areas that are challenged by high malnutrition rates and seasonal food insecurity,” said Marc-André Prost, WFP Representative and Country Director.
Since 2002, the Government of Laos has been building a system of school nutrition, with support from many partners. With its help, the country has made significant progress in improving education outcomes while addressing malnutrition. By allocating national funding to the program and by joining the international School Meals Coalition, Laos is now entering a phase of consolidation of its school meals programs, with the help of expertise and resources from over 100 countries globally.
