BGN to Involve Military in Distributing Free Nutritious Meals in Conflict Areas

JAKARTA – The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) is preparing a mechanism to implement the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme in areas prone to conflict. A special mechanism is deemed necessary because distributing MBG in areas with potential for conflict cannot be carried out in the usual way.

BGN head Sudaryono revealed that there are still regions in Indonesia with the potential for conflict. For this reason, he is preparing the implementation of MBG in several areas where the potential for conflict is quite high, so that children there can still receive the benefits of one of President Prabowo Subianto’s priority programmes.

“Earlier I added Papua; there is also, for instance, MBG or nutritious meals for children in conflict-prone areas — we are also thinking through the mechanism for this,” he said at a press conference at the BGN building on Wednesday (29 July 2026).

He said BGN already has several steps for distributing MBG in conflict areas. One step that will be taken is involving the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the National Police (Polri).