Tetra Pak launches aseptic packaged school milk initiative as Yemen struggles to provide food services

22 Nov 2023 --- Tetra Pak and Hayel Saeed Anam (HSA) Group have started a school milk initiative in Yemen. Commencing this week, the pilot initiative will provide fortified flavored milk in aseptic packaging for 10,000 children in Yemen once a day on school days, seeking to improve pupils’ nutritional intake and health while incentivizing school attendance. The pilot will target an estimated 20 schools in the Taiz governorate. 

Yemen has been grappling with a protracted conflict since 2014, leading to widespread instability, displacement, and destruction of infrastructure. The conflict has disrupted normal life, including access to food and basic services. 

Niels Hougaard, managing director of Tetra Pak Arabia, tells Packaging Insights that the conflict has strained the country’s resources, “making it challenging for the Yemeni government and humanitarian organizations to allocate sufficient funds and personnel to address the nutritional needs of school children.”

HSA Group produces UHT milk in local facilities fortified with micronutrients and vitamins based on local nutritional deficiencies. Tetra Pak supplies Tetra Brik Aseptic 125 packaging, ensuring the product remains fresh for up to 12 months, maximizing the distribution time window. As a result, the impact of transport challenges, which are common in Yemen due to damaged infrastructure, will be reduced. 

The Tetra Brik Aseptic 125.Recycling education 
HSA Group’s Humanitarian Development Program (HDP) will manage the milk distribution and coordinate with relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Education and the UN’s nutrition cluster, administered by UNICEF and the WFP.

The project was announced in May at a joint food security workshop co-hosted by HSA Group and the International Food Policy Research Institute, titled “Rethinking food crisis responses: the power of partnership to build resilient food systems in Yemen.”

HDP will also liaise with schools on storage needs and food safety, engage communities through awareness campaigns and oversee the monitoring and evaluation of the project.

Furthermore, schools are using the initiative to raise awareness about the importance of recycling. Children will be taught about the impact of waste on the environment and how waste can be managed sustainably. 

The International Food Policy Research Institute is conducting an impact assessment study to understand the initiative’s impact on children’s educational and health outcomes.

Encouraging growth
Looking ahead, HSA Group and Tetra Pak plan to continue ensuring access to safe nutrition for Yemeni children and improve the food value chain by increasing opportunities for small-holder farmers to develop their businesses, earn income and improve their livelihoods. 

“The second phase of the initiative will be to broaden the variety of food products for the children. We plan with our partner HSA Group to innovate and develop affordable nutritious, dairy and cereal-based beverage formulations for school feeding in Yemen,” says Hougaard.

“Building upon the insights gained from this pilot program, targeting an estimated 20 schools in the Taiz Governorate, and its well-documented impact, our overarching goal is not only to continue the initiative’s growth but also to actively inspire and encourage the involvement of additional donors and charitable organizations in the expansion efforts,” he concludes.

By Natalie Schwertheim