*** DEBUG START ***
*** DEBUG END ***

School closures mean children miss out on nutrition, UN warns

05 February 2021

PA

A closed school in Oeiras, near Lisbon, Portugal, last month. The country tightened its lockdown rules and closed schools for two weeks in an attempt to manage soaring coronavirus cases

A closed school in Oeiras, near Lisbon, Portugal, last month. The country tightened its lockdown rules and closed schools for two weeks in an attempt ...

CHILDREN around the world are losing out on their one nutritious meal of the day, as schools stay closed because of the pandemic, UNICEF has said.

In a report published by on Thursday of last week, UNICEF calls on governments to prioritise the reopening of schools to prevent a whole generation from losing a vital source of nutrition. Worldwide, 370 million children in 150 countries have lost nearly half of their meals in school in the past year.

The executive director of UNICEF, Henrietta Fore, said: “Despite clear evidence that schools are not primary drivers of Covid-19 infections, millions of children are facing school closures around the world.

“Children who depend on schools for their daily meals are not only losing out on an education, but also on a reliable source of nutrition.”

School feeding programmes play a critical part in encouraging children back into school and keeping them there, particularly girls and the most vulnerable children, decreasing the risk that they will be sent out to work instead.

“Missing out on nutritious school meals is jeopardising the futures of millions of the world’s poorest children. We risk losing a whole generation,” the World Food Programme’s executive director, David Beasley, said.

“We must support governments to safely reopen schools and start feeding these children again. For many, the nutritious meal they get in school is the only food they will receive all day.”

Browse Church and Charity jobs on the Church Times jobsite

Forthcoming Events

 

Festival of Preaching: Preaching Truth to Power

13 September 2025

Join us at London's Southwark Cathedral for this one-day event — a transformative gathering of bold voices, prophetic vision, and Spirit-led conviction..

tickets available

 

Finding inspiration in the Psalms : a Church Times one day festival

2 October 2025

Join us in York for this one-day event exploring the gift of the Psalms through poetry, art, liturgy and music.

tickets available

  

Visit our Events page for upcoming and past events 

Welcome to the Church Times

 

To explore the Church Times website fully, please sign in or subscribe.

Non-subscribers can read four articles for free each month. (You will need to register.)