Japan provides canned fish to school feeding programmes in Laos

(KPL) The Government of Japan yesterday donated 316 tonnes of canned fish, worth US$1.2 million to the Lao government through the World Food Programme to support the school feeding programmes in northern provinces and to relieve Typhoon Ketsana victims in southern provinces.

The aid package will go to the school feeding programmes in the northern provinces of Phongsaly, Luang Namtha and Oudomsay, and Ketsana victims in central province of Savannaket, and three southern provinces of Saravane, Sekong and Attapeu.

The handover ceremony of the canned fish was held at the Ministry of Education, which was attended by Ambassador of Japan to Laos, Mr. Masaaki Miya****a, Vice-Minister of Education, Mr. Lytou Bouapao, and WFP Deputy Country Director, Ms. Elisabeth Faure.

The canned fish is an integral item in the take-home food basket given to children and their families as an incentive to attend primary school in three northern provinces of Laos.

Mr. Miya****a said that the total amount of the canned fish handed over this time was 316 metric tonnes, of which 258 metric tonnes were for School Feeding Programmes and 58 metric tonnes for Ketsana response.

The WFP Deputy Country Director, Ms Faure, said Japan had again shown itself to be a very generous and timely supporter of WFP activities and the people and government of Laos.The flexibility shown by Japan in enabling the donation to be used for emergency response, at literally a moment?s notice, is well appreciated at its interest in making sure children get a nourishing meal in school and education, she added.
At present, more than 600,000 canned fish are being distributed to 1,091 WFP-assisted schools in Phongsaly, Oudomsay and Luang Namtha provinces, where more than 90,000 children benefit from daily school meals and take-home rations, said Mr. Lytou.

These rations, which also include rice and iodised salt, are designed to support children and their families in their decision to pursue education. Mr. Lytou also said that the WFP?s School Meals Programme was running in close cooperation with the Ministry of Education in six provinces of Phongsaly, Oudomsay, Luang Namtha, Saravane, Savannaket, Sekong and Attapeu, where more than 130,000 primary school students and their families were beneficiaries.

The Japanese government has so far contributed approximately US$9.3 million in 2007 and 2008 as its regular contributions to the WFP. Out of these contributions, US$820,000 was allocated for the purchase of the canned fish.