The Sudanese Government and U.N. agencies discuss implementing a school feeding program to protect children and ensure the continuity of education

Khartoum: 1 November 2026 On Sunday, 1 November 2026, the Sovereign Council’s Advisory Office for Organisations and Humanitarian Affairs hosted a joint meeting attended by representatives of Sudanese government institutions and United Nations agencies operating in Sudan, to discuss the implementation of the school feeding programme, and to develop mechanisms for cooperation and joint coordination to mobilise resources, expand the scope of the programme and enhance its effectiveness across the country. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministries of Education, Health and Social Welfare, as well as the Sovereign Council’s Adviser on Organisations and Humanitarian Affairs and the Sovereign Council’s Adviser on Political and Foreign Affairs. The United Nations delegation included Ms Denise Brown, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sudan, and representatives from the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) This meeting forms part of the efforts by the Sudanese Government and its partners to strengthen the social protection system and address the humanitarian and economic repercussions of the war – exacerbated by low rainfall, the effects of drought and a decline in agricultural production – by implementing school feeding programmes as a priority humanitarian and development intervention, and a fundamental line of defence to protect children from hunger and malnutrition. The Sudanese Government emphasises the importance of the programme as a strategic investment in protecting future generations and safeguarding the country’s future, going beyond the provision of meals to support the continuity of the educational process, improve school enrolment and attendance rates, reducing school drop-out rates, and alleviating the economic burden on Sudanese families, particularly in communities most affected by war, displacement and deteriorating living conditions. Strengthening cooperation between national institutions and United Nations agencies in this area represents an important step towards building an integrated and sustainable response, based on national priorities, mobilising resources and international partnerships, and linking urgent humanitarian interventions to recovery objectives whilst strengthening the resilience of Sudanese society.