Calls to halt Indonesia’s free meal drive after horror crash injures 21 children

Name: School meals sicken thousands of Indonesian students
Uploaded: 2025-12-17T00:00:11.000Z
Description: School meals sicken thousands of Indonesian students

One child lost 18 teeth and had to undergo reconstructive surgery. Critics blame the scheme’s ‘chaotic’ roll-out for the tragedy

Reading Time:3 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

Indonesian students eat a free school meal in Aceh Besar earlier this year. Photo: EPA

Resty Woro Yuniar

Published: 8:00am, 17 Dec 2025Updated: 5:06pm, 17 Dec 2025

Indonesia’s flagship programme to provide millions of schoolchildren with free nutritious meals is back in the spotlight after a delivery van linked to the initiative ploughed into a group of students in Jakarta last week, leaving 21 children and a teacher injured.

The accident on Thursday has raised fresh questions about safety and oversight in what critics call the “chaotic” roll-out of the signature initiative of President Prabowo Subianto, which has a 71 trillion rupiah (US$4.2 billion) budget this year alone.

Initially hailed as a crucial step towards combating child malnutrition and stunted growth, the programme has since become mired in scandal, from a string of food poisoning cases to procurement controversies and warnings from child-protection advocates.

School meals sicken thousands of Indonesian students

Police said the man behind the wheel of the van last Thursday – a substitute driver who had been on the job for just two days – had barely slept before the crash and mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake as he approached a North Jakarta junior school.

Twelve children were still in intensive care as of Monday, including one who reportedly lost 18 teeth and had to undergo several reconstructive surgeries on his jaw and face.

Indonesia’s Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka issued a public apology and promised a full investigation.

“On behalf of the government, I sincerely apologise and regret this incident,” he said in a statement on Thursday. “This event must not be repeated.”

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x

Calls to halt Indonesia’s free meal drive after horror crash injures 21 children

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}One child lost 18 teeth and had to undergo reconstructive surgery. Critics blame the scheme’s ‘chaotic’ roll-out for the tragedy

One child lost 18 teeth and had to undergo reconstructive surgery. Critics blame the scheme’s ‘chaotic’ roll-out for the tragedy