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Objectives:

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), working in partnership with UNICEF and the World Bank, supports the Haitian government in the implementation of its National School Meals Programme and works with more than 16 local and international NGOs, to provide a hot meal everyday to 685,000 children in over 2,000 schools countrywide.

School meals are a priority in Haiti, and the backbone of the  “Aba Grangou” (down with hunger) strategy,  launched by the President of Haiti. The strategy sets a framework to eradicate hunger and malnutrition amongst the poorest population strata. The school meals program was identified by the government as a crucial safety net, which could be quickly and efficiently scaled up to reach all children enrolled in school.

To reduce charcoal consumption and promote alternative energy sources, the use of briquettes to cook meals in schools was promoted, thereby saving 20,575 kg of charcoal and 123,000 Kg of wood during the 2011-2012 school year.

WFP and UNICEF work together as joint members of the WASH Alliance in Schools, a group under the leadership of the Ministry of Education.  As members of this group, the two agencies collaborate on the promotion of hand washing in schools where WFP implements the school meals programme in the North department.