Indonesia to Expand Free Nutritious Meal Programme to Conflict-Prone Areas

Dragon Media News Desk

The Indonesian government is preparing to expand its free nutritious meal programme to conflict-prone and remote areas to improve children’s nutritional conditions.

The programme will focus particularly on Papua, East Nusa Tenggara and Maluku, along with other areas in eastern Indonesia, according to the National Nutrition Agency.

Agency head Sudaryono said at a press conference in Jakarta that the government had mapped vulnerable regions and was preparing an appropriate mechanism to deliver nutritious meals in areas facing geographical and security challenges.

“We have mapped Papua and other regions, including East Nusa Tenggara and Maluku. We want to improve nutrition in those areas,” Sudaryono said.

He stressed that children throughout Indonesia, particularly those living in vulnerable, conflict-prone and remote regions, must have access to better nutrition because they need it most.

Indonesia’s free nutritious meal programme has continued to expand nationwide. Government figures showed that the number of beneficiaries had reached 62.45 million as of May 22, 2026.

The programme serves schoolchildren and other nutritionally vulnerable groups as part of the government’s broader effort to reduce malnutrition and improve public health.

The National Nutrition Agency said the government would continue developing distribution systems capable of delivering nutritious meals safely and regularly to children in remote and high-risk areas.