iklan

NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL, DILI

WFP requests the Government to implement the MCP for children during the pandemic

WFP requests the Government to implement the MCP for children during the pandemic

DILI, 15 September, 2021 (TATOLI)- World Food Program (WFP) recommended the East Timor Government through the relevant ministries to implement Meals Collection Program (MCP) for the children during the school closure.

The WFP Country Director, Dagen Liu said MCP benefits reduce malnutrition in the country, and also children can consume nutritive foods.

“About 80 countries have been implemented this program, by providing foods for children due to the less family income caused by streaming weather, covid-19, and other conflicts,” Dangen Liu informed Tatoli at the WFP Office, Caicoli Dili.

Mr. Liu has requested the government decide the options to use for this program, the children can take package foods to consume at home daily for one month or through cash distribution for the family to get the foods in the supermarket on their own.

“The estimating cost for every child is .0.50 cent per day and $. 5.00 for one week, all students in primary to junior high school are deserved the MCP,” he said.

Liu said, MCP program has been introduced by the WFP to the government of Timor- Leste and hope will be implemented soon in this country.

Foods that are rich in nutrition and food security address people’s health and well-being: “Reaching our goal of Zero Hunger by 2030 requires solutions that address systemic inefficiencies, political crises, and climate change. This requires political leadership and investments,”

At the same time, this program is aimed to help vulnerable people to access nutritive foods and reduce malnutrition.

The government has taken various measures to support the vulnerable population in its economic stimulation and recovery program including the massive transfer program through cash subsidies and Cesta Basica.

“Therefore the disruption of the global food supply chain has sent a strong wake-up call to promote and diversify local food production in Timor-Leste where 2/3 of rice consumption depends on import,” he said.

It is recalled that based on Timor-Leste food and Nutrition Survey 2020 show a trend of improvement in terms of nutritional status of children below 5 years, with a reduction in stunting (too short for age), from 50% to 47%, wasting (too thin for height) from 11% to 9%. Despite the improvement, the stunting rate remains ones of the highest in the world and South East Asia.

He added that data also show the overweight and obesity is dramatically increasing with 20% of all women and of reproductive age overweight or obese, 278% increase from 2010.

 

Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá

Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario

iklan
iklan

Leave a Reply

iklan
error: Content is protected !!