Providing school meals during conflict
For over 20 years, Mary’s Meals has operated extensively in areas of conflict and crisis in some of the world’s most dangerous places, reaching children others cannot.
Today, we are serving some of the most vulnerable and hardest-to-reach children in Yemen, Lebanon, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Haiti, where conflict and instability are pushing families to the brink. In these contexts, hunger isn’t just a hardship; it is a daily emergency threatening both survival and any chance of an education.
For the children we reach, a daily school meal is not just important; it is lifeline support. Often, it is the only reliable food they will eat that day. Without it, many simply would not come to school or would not eat at all.
Donate today and ensure children affected by conflict, can continue to receive a daily school meal.
Your gift will be DOUBLED by a generous group of donors. That means your donation will have DOUBLE the impact – more food and more children reached.
A proven commitment
The origin of Mary's Meals began in the 1990s, when our founder delivered aid to families in refugee camps during the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Since then, we have spent decades working in areas impacted by conflict and crises to reach the children who need us most
Operating in areas affected by war, displacement and instability requires deep local knowledge and flexibility. By working through trusted local partners, we continue to deliver meals despite:
- Ongoing conflict and insecurity
- Economic collapse and food shortages
- Displacement and disrupted infrastructure
Why school meals matter in conflict settings
In fragile and post-conflict environments, a daily meal at school delivers immediate, life-changing outcomes:
- Reduces hunger and malnutrition, enabling children to concentrate and learn
- Increases school attendance, particularly for children at risk of dropping out
- Provides a vital safety net for families, keeping children in the classroom and minimising the vulnerability of recruitment by armed groups
- Supports recovery, helping communities rebuild through education and fuelling the next generation of leaders
This simple intervention creates consistency and structure in places where children’s lives are often defined by uncertainty.
Support children through conflict and beyond
Right now, more than half a million children rely on Mary’s Meals every school day in Yemen, Lebanon, Ethiopia South Sudan and Haiti.
But in fragile contexts, this work can only continue with sustained funding.
Your support ensures that:
- Children continue to receive daily meals, even in crisis
- School feeding programmes remain stable and can adapt when new challenges arise
- With existing school feeding sustained, we can aim to reach the next child in waiting.
A school meal is more than food – its support for what comes next. It fuels the next generation that will rebuild what has been lost. Together we can fuel that resilience.
Thanks to a generous supporter, every donation made is matched – meaning your gift goes twice as far to feed children living through conflict
Other ways to give to Mary's Meals
Charities Aid Foundation (CAF)
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Stewardship
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