COVID-19: Missing More Than a Classroom: The impact of school closures on children’s nutrition

135 million people in 55 countries were experiencing food crises or worse, and 2 billion people lacked regular access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food during 2019. These hardships have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and may cause additional 121 million people to face acute food insecurity by the end of 2020. Furthermore, 1.6 billion learners in 199 countries globally have been affected by school closures since the beginning of the pandemic, resulting in nearly 370 million children in 150 countries not receiving a school meal.

This paper provides the evidence on potential negative effects of school meal scheme disruption globally during the COVID-19 pandemic and the vulnerability of children participating in these schemes.