Hundreds of Indonesian Children Sick After Free School Meals

Mass Food Poisoning Incident in Indonesian School Meal Program

Four hundred children in Indonesia's Bengkulu province on Sumatra have fallen ill after consuming free school meals provided through President Prabowo Subianto's flagship nutrition program. The children, aged between 4 and 12 years, were hospitalized with severe abdominal pain and food poisoning symptoms.

Presidential Initiative Faces Major Setback

The free meal program, launched in January 2025, represents one of President Prabowo's key election promises aimed at combating poverty and malnutrition across Indonesia. The ambitious initiative currently distributes approximately 20 million meals to school children and pregnant women nationwide, with plans to expand to 83 million meals.

Recurring Hygiene Issues

This marks the second major food poisoning outbreak within the program. Last month, 365 people fell ill in Java due to poor hygiene practices during meal preparation. Authorities have temporarily suspended the program in affected areas while investigating the contamination source.

Political Context and Public Backlash

The meal program controversy comes amid growing public discontent with President Prabowo's administration. Recent economic measures, including tax increases and budget cuts to fund social programs, have sparked widespread protests across Indonesia. The situation escalated when parliamentarians approved generous housing allowances for themselves while ordinary citizens face declining purchasing power and rising unemployment.

Broader Economic Challenges

Indonesia's economy, while showing recovery from pandemic impacts, faces structural challenges including income inequality and infrastructure gaps. The school meal program was intended to address nutritional deficiencies among vulnerable populations but has encountered implementation difficulties in its rapid rollout.