More than 1,000 Indonesian schoolchildren fell ill this week from food poisoning linked to President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free school lunch program, bringing this year’s total to over 4,700–6,400 cases depending on the source.

Axar.az, citing BBC, reports that the $28 billion initiative, launched in January to provide nutritious meals to 80 million children and combat child stunting, has repeatedly faced outbreaks caused by poor food handling and expired ingredients.

This week’s cases, mostly in West Java’s Cipongkor, involved meals of soy sauce chicken, tofu, vegetables, and fruit. Symptoms included stomach pain, nausea, dizziness, and even shortness of breath. Despite calls from NGOs to suspend or overhaul the program, officials insist it will continue, though some local operations have been temporarily halted for investigation.

Critics question the program’s high cost, corruption risks, and necessity, noting Indonesia’s relatively low rates of food insecurity and comparing its spending to far cheaper programs in India and Brazil. Prabowo defends the scheme as vital for children’s health and a key promise of his populist agenda, which has helped maintain his 80% approval rating.