Cairo, Egypt — Children benefiting from national school meal programmes across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) increased by 22 percent in the past two years alone, despite conflict, economic downturn and the region’s complex humanitarian landscape. Now reaching 23.5 million children, these programmes are emerging as a strategic investment in education, nutrition, and economic development, according to the latest edition of the State of School Feeding Worldwide, a flagship biennial report released today by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
“WFP is proud to partner with MENA governments who are demonstrating visionary leadership by leveraging school meals as a tool for both human and economic development,” said WFP Regional Director for MENA and Eastern Europe Samer Abdeljaber. “These programmes are vital in a region grappling with economic pressures and humanitarian crises.”
Particularly in countries plagued by conflict, school meals often serve as the only reliable source of nutrition for children and a vital incentive for school attendance. In Syria and Yemen, where protracted crises have devastated infrastructure and livelihoods, school meals are often the only nutritious meal a child receives. In 2024, In Syria, over 911,100 children benefited from date bars, fresh meals and cash-based transfers, with school attendance rising to 88 percent.
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The report acknowledges the immense challenges in delivering school meals in areas of active conflict or siege. For instance, in Gaza, the ongoing crisis has severely hampered humanitarian access, making consistent school meal delivery extremely difficult, if not impossible. The last time WFP could reach children with school meals in Gaza was in 2024 when it distributed snacks to 117,886 children in UN temporary learning spaces. This highlights the urgent need for unimpeded humanitarian access to ensure children’s basic rights, including access to food and education, are met.
The report highlights the broader economic impact of school meals that are proving to be one of the most cost-effective public investments generating between $7 and $35 in economic returns for every $1 spent. Globally, government-run school meal programmes support an estimated 7.4 million cooking jobs.
“The return on investment in school feeding goes far beyond the classroom,” Abdeljaber added. “Feeding millions of children creates a ripple effect; it means jobs for cooks and transporters, income for farmers and suppliers, and stronger local economies.”
WFP-led initiatives in Egypt are increasingly linking school feeding to local agricultural production, providing stable income for farmers and reducing reliance on imports. In Jordan and Yemen, WFP launched a Healthy Kitchens to provide home-grown school meals, creating jobs for women and supporting local agriculture.
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The report comes ahead of the School Meals Coalition Global Summit in Brazil next week, where leaders will gather to accelerate progress and address funding gaps in low-income countries.
MENA countries are active members of the School Meals Coalition, a global platform of over 100 governments and over 140 partners committed to expanding access to school meals by 2030. Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Yemen and Lebanon are among the countries contributing to this momentum, sharing best practices and scaling up their programmes.
WFP uses its operational expertise to support governments in strengthening their national systems. In Iraq, for example, WFP has supported the transition of school meals programmes from relying on WFP for programme delivery to full national ownership in 2023. During the 2023-2024 school year, the Government of Iraq provided daily school meals (five meals a week) to 775,686 school-aged children, representing nearly 13 percent of primary school students. The government plans to expand coverage to 1.4 million children initially and subsequently the entire 6 million primary school aged children.
Globally, school meal coverage has reached 466 million children, up nearly 80 million from 2020. Funding has nearly doubled to $84 billion with 99% coming from national budgets, underscoring government’s strong investment in these programmes – and their children’s future.
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