Thousands of cases of food poisoning have been linked to programme launched with fanfare by the president, Prabowo Subianto
Rini Irawati feared the worst when she found her teenage daughter Nabila pale and barely breathing in an emergency centre in Indonesia’s West Java. “My heart was shattered,” Rini said.
After consuming one of the government’s free school meals this October, 16-year-old Nabila and 500 other students at schools in her area became violently ill. “I’ve seen nothing like it, even during Covid-19,” said Aep Kunaepi, who works at the shelter Nabila was taken to before she was admitted to hospital for three days.
The Indonesian president, Prabowo Subianto, in January unveiled his flagship free meals programme to combat malnutrition and stunted growth. But thousands have been poisoned by the government-provided food since, sparking concern the programme is putting child safety at risk.
The £3.2bn free meal programme provides daily meals to 39 million school students, toddlers, pregnant women and new mothers, according to the national nutrition agency, known as BGN. By year end the target is to reach 83 million.
