More than half a million children across the country will benefit from a school-feeding program after the ministry of education and the UN World Food Program (WFP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding earlier this week.

The agreement states that WFP will provide meals to more than 530,000 children in 1,100 schools across the ten states for 19 months.

Adeyinka Badejo, WFP deputy country director for South Sudan, said the MoU signed with the Ministry of General Education and Instruction is aimed at increasing enrollment as well as encouraging parents to keep children in school.

“We will be focusing on schools that are in more vulnerable areas where there is a high level of food insecurity and where the participation of education is low and encourage children to come to school every day because they will get nutritious meals at school as well as supporting their nutritional wellbeing,” Badejo told reporters.

The undersecretary in the Ministry of General Education and Instruction, Kuyok Abol Kuyok said that the project will keep children in school.

"This program is one of the strategies we have to improve education in South Sudan and we are very grateful to the World Food Program and donors," said Kuyok.

The school feeding program was introduced in 2003 before the independence of South Sudan to enhance access to food.