The donation, imported from Russia, will be used to provide nutritious lunches for primary school students in food-insecure areas across the country as part of the National School Meals Programme.
The latest shipment, comprising six containers, arrived in Laos between August and October this year. Over the past two years, Russia has delivered a total of 248 metric tons of canned fish and 70 metric tons of sunflower oil, underscoring its continued commitment to supporting Laos through humanitarian and development assistance.
Minister of Education and Sports Thongsalith Mangnomek, expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the support, saying, “On behalf of the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Government of the Lao PDR, and the Lao people, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Government and people of the Russian Federation for their continued assistance in strengthening our traditional friendship and cooperation. Supporting school meals is one of the Ministry’s key policy priorities, as it encourages children to attend school regularly, thereby improving their access to education and contributing to the development of human resources in our country.”
Since 2018, Russia has partnered with WFP to strengthen the Lao Government’s efforts in promoting community resilience and enhancing the National School Meals Programme. Mr. Vladimir Kalinin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Lao PDR, emphasized the importance of the initiative, stating, “Ensuring daily access to healthy meals for Lao students is an effective way to improve their physical health, fight malnutrition, and enhance their overall well-being.
The Russian Federation attaches great importance to providing regular economic, humanitarian, and social assistance to the Lao PDR—our close friend and reliable partner, with whom we recently celebrated the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Through this donation, I am honored to reaffirm Russia’s continued support for the Lao Government and people, especially during these challenging economic times. We hope our contribution will complement the efforts of the international community to foster sustainable economic and social development in the Lao PDR.”
The assistance will be implemented through the WFP, which has been a trusted partner of the Ministry of Education and Sports since 2005. According to Marc-Andre Prost, WFP Representative and Country Director, “The Russian Federation’s latest contribution will support nutritious lunches for 40,000 primary school children during the 2025–2026 academic year across six districts in Oudomxay Province. We sincerely thank the Russian Government for its generosity in helping to reduce malnutrition and improve education outcomes for children throughout the Lao PDR.”
The donation highlights the shared commitment of Russia, WFP, and the Lao government to improving food security, education, and child well-being in the Lao PDR.
