Human Rights Minister Affirms Free Nutritious Meals Programme Supports Vulnerable Groups' Nutrition

Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai has affirmed that the Free Nutritious Meals programme represents part of the effort to fulfil the basic rights of the community, particularly pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, toddlers, and students, to support the acceleration of stunting reduction in East Nusa Tenggara. Pigai stated that meeting food needs is one of the state’s obligations in guaranteeing human rights. “From a human rights perspective, the government has three main obligations, namely to respect, to protect, and to fulfil the basic rights of the people, including the needs for clothing, food, and shelter,” Pigai said in a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday. During an event titled ‘Rights and Nutritional Fulfilment for Pregnant Women, Breastfeeding Mothers, Toddlers, and Students in NTT’ in Kupang on Tuesday, Pigai explained that the Free Nutritious Meals programme initiated by President Prabowo Subianto is not only oriented towards social assistance but is also designed as an instrument to improve the quality of human resources through early nutritional fulfilment. According to him, the Ministry of Human Rights is committed to overseeing the implementation of the programme so that it runs according to its objectives, is accurately targeted, and fulfils the principles of social justice. “The Free Nutritious Meals programme is a noble and good programme. We are monitoring it to ensure this programme succeeds according to its goals, provides real benefits to the community, and supports the reduction of poverty and stunting,” he said. Meanwhile, NTT Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena stated that the Free Nutritious Meals programme not only impacts the improvement of the community’s nutritional quality but also contributes to regional economic growth through the involvement of local businesses. “NTT’s economic growth shows a positive upward trend, and one of the driving factors is the economic circulation from the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals programme,” said Emanuel. He explained that the implementation of the programme has mobilised various regional economic sectors, from farmers, fishers, and ranchers to micro, small, and medium food enterprises and the distribution and transport sectors. Therefore, the NTT Provincial Government is encouraging the utilisation of local raw materials in the programme’s implementation so that the economic benefits can be felt more widely by the community. Through synergy between the central and regional governments, the programme is expected to accelerate the reduction of stunting rates, improve public health quality, and support the development of superior and competitive human resources.