Indonesia suspends free meal programme in West Java schools as volcanic ash disrupts learning
The National Nutrition Agency has temporarily halted the Free Nutritious Meals programme in several West Java districts after Mount Anak Krakatau eruptions forced schools to switch to remote learning to protect students from volcanic ash exposure.
Free meals halted at schools in West Java amid volcanic ash risks
Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency has suspended the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme in multiple West Java school districts following the shift to remote learning caused by volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau's ongoing eruptions.
The volcano, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands, began erupting on September 4, 2026, at approximately 4:11 a.m. Western Indonesian Time. The eruptions have continued with rumbling sounds that could be heard up to 700 kilometers away, according to Indonesian authorities. Volcanic ash plumes reached heights of approximately 6 kilometers above sea level on the Java side and up to 15 kilometers on the Sumatra side.
As of Monday, several West Java regions have implemented virtual schooling programmes, including Bogor City, Bogor District, Cianjur District, Sukabumi City, Depok City, and Purwakarta District. The suspension also affects schools in Lampung, Banten, and Jakarta provinces.
Khairul Hidayati, head of the agency's Legal and Public Relations Bureau, confirmed the temporary halt on Monday, describing the decision as necessary to ensure the programme remains adaptive and aligned with regional policies.
We continue to monitor the situation and coordinate with regional governments. The implementation of the MBG programme will be readjusted once conditions have become feasible and in-person learning has resumed.
She emphasized that the suspension is temporary and does not reflect any change in the government's commitment to the programme.
Every operational decision will factor in the safety aspect, the readiness of schools, and the interest of programme beneficiaries.
Scale of disruption
The volcanic activity has caused widespread disruption beyond the education sector. Eight airports, including Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, halted operations over the weekend after volcanic ash was detected, disrupting thousands of flights and leaving more than 270,000 passengers stranded as of September 6, 2026.
Mount Anak Krakatau, whose name means "child of Krakatau," emerged within the caldera left by the catastrophic 1883 eruption of Krakatau that killed approximately 36,000 people. The volcano has been at Alert Level III (Siaga), the second-highest level on Indonesia's four-level volcanic warning scale, with volcanic activity ongoing since July 2, 2026, when its alert status was raised.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency has announced plans for weather modification measures, including cloud seeding, to encourage rainfall that may help remove ash from affected areas. Authorities have confirmed no immediate tsunami threat from the current eruption.
About the MBG programme
The Free Nutritious Meals programme, officially launched on January 6, 2025, was allocated Rp268 trillion (approximately US$14.7 billion) in the 2026 State Budget and targets approximately 82.9 million beneficiaries including students, pregnant women, and toddlers. By early November 2025, the programme had reached more than 41.2 million people, representing about 50 percent of its goal, with approximately 600,000 jobs created.
School operational decisions are based on a circular letter issued by Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu'ti in 2026, as well as a 2019 ministerial regulation addressing emergency responses to natural disasters.
The agency stressed that distribution will resume once the situation stabilizes and schools return to in-person instruction, with decisions taking into account developments in volcanic activity and the schooling policies of each regional administration.