Japan grants Sri Lanka over Rs. 280 million in assistance to School Meals Program NP

World Food Program (WFP)

The government of Japan has granted approximately Rs.282 million (Japanese Yen 220 million) to Sri Lanka as food grant assistance through the World Food Program (WFP) to support the ongoing School Meals Program in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka.

Japan has provided grant assistance amounting to approximately Rs. 180 million in previous year to support a nutrition program in the North as there was much concern about the nutrition levels of the resettled IDPs, especially children.

The need for continuation of the nutrition program for children still exists, since children need good nutrition for proper physical growth and also to perform well at school, the announcement said.

As part of this food grant assistance, Japan will supply canned fish. The grant assistance will be mutually beneficial to both Japan and Sri Lanka. Japan hopes this assistance would progress the living conditions of the children in the North and also further strengthen the long-standing friendship between two countries.

The signing of the grant agreement took place in Rome between Masaharu Kohno, Ambassador of Japan to Italy and Amir Abdulla, Deputy Chief Operating Officer of WFP.