The Central African Republic has been plagued by internal fighting in recent years, forcing over 200,000 people to flee their homes and villages. According to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), most of the displaced people "live hidden in the bush to protect themselves from acts of violence and are the target of armed groups."

In an impoverished country suffering from the chaos of conflict, food programs like school feeding are critical. In this interview with Sitta Kai-Kai, director of the UN World Food Programme in Central African Republic, we will look at the status of the country's school feeding.

How many children are benefiting from the WFP school feeding programs within the country?

168,664 children out of 443,263 enrolled primary school children in Central African Republic.

Discuss what effect the meals have on the children in terms of school attendance, performance and nutrition.

WFP school feeding in Central African Republic has been very effective in increasing school enrollment. It has contributed to the increase in enrollment in its assisted schools, surpassing the planned figure by 12.2% (110,000 enrolled compared to the original 98,000).

School feeding addresses what is called "short term hunger" in classroom through school meals. Most children, especially in the conflict-affected north of the country, come to school in the morning, walking long distances on an empty stomach. School meals give them energy to concentrate on learning and stay in school.

WFP school feeding also improves and stabilizes pupils' attendance. The attendance rates in schools regularly receiving school feeding stand high around 95%, while the rates are below 70% at schools assisted but experiencing food shortage.

In addition to these positive improvements in access to education, WFP "emergency school feeding" launched in schools in the conflict-affected north (most of them are "bush schools") address different issues.

School feeding and the fact that their children eat at school reassures people in the conflict-affected and displaced communities and promotes a return to normalcy. School feeding helps the reopening of the schools and their normal operation. In contrast, teachers in schools that are not assisted by WFP are almost always on strike, resulting in the closure of those schools.

What plans are there for making school meals available for all children?

We are putting in place an emergency school feeding program that aims at reaching displaced communities. We continue to seek funding to increase our coverage. Our participation in the Fast Track Initiative is one way for us to get funding to promote school feeding as part of country's efforts to achieve universal primary education.