Government donates money to Nepal's children

Government aid agency NZAID will donate $350,000 to ease hardship and improve the lives of children in Nepal, announced Aid Minister Marion Hobbs today.

The money will help fund two World Food Programmes that provide meals for all children attending school.

The Food for Education project covers 450,000 school children in 21 districts across Nepal.

Save the Children welcomed the announcement, saying education is vital in tackling poverty in Nepal.

"Education and health are essential for children to achieve their potential and the Food for Education project supports both," said Hobbs.

"New Zealand and Nepal have a close bond, which is evident through the work of Sir Edmund Hillary and his Himalayan Trust."

A spokeswoman for Save the Children said: "One of the key issues here is access to education, which unfortunately in a country like Nepal is not a given, and without which the Food for Education Programme and take-home incentive only have limited reach."

NZAID already supports education programmes in Nepal through partnerships with the Himalayan Trust and UNICEF.

Hobbs added: "Nepal is one of the poorest nations in South Asia, with 42 per cent of its population living below the poverty line.

"Ninety one out of every 1000 children die before five years of age - a terrible statistic and a sign the international community needs to act."

The project provides a take-home food incentive for mothers whose girl children attend school regularly.

Around 135,000 girls already benefit from this project.

"Getting girls into school and keeping them there are both absolute necessities if we want to make a real difference in the fight against poverty," the minister said.

The NZAID donation will also help the maintain the World Food Programme and prepare it to respond to difficult situations.

"The political and security situation in Nepal has continued to deteriorate over the last year and this is making it increasingly difficult and dangerous for international agencies to deliver assistance in Nepal," she said.