HSA Group partners with Tetra Pak to support safe nutrition in Yemen's schools

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May 24, 2023, 16:01 ET

HSA Group – Yemen's largest private company – partners with Tetra Pak to address food security and nutrition challenges facing young people in Yemen.
The initiative will serve as a pilot for introducing fortified flavoured milk in school feeding programmes in Yemen, with the aim of addressing the threat of acute malnutrition facing over 2.2 million children across the country.

DUBAI, UAE, May 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hayel Saeed Anam (HSA) Group, Yemen's largest private company, has today announced a collaborative partnership with Tetra Pak to support safe nutrition in schools across Yemen. Leveraging Tetra Pak and HSA Group's product development and manufacturing capabilities, the partnership will support the development of new, innovative value-chain-based affordable nutritious products for children in schools throughout Yemen, helping to respond to under- and malnutrition in communities across the country.

According to UNICEF, over 2.2 million Yemeni children are suffering from acute malnutrition, including more than 540,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Across Yemen, over 50% of children are experiencing irreversible stunted growth due to a lack of nutrition and growing food insecurity.

Commencing in September 2023, the initiative will support approximately 10,000 children across schools throughout Yemen, helping to improve the health of pupils whilst incentivising school attendance. Under the scope of the initiative:

HSA Group will produce UHT milk in local facilities which will be fortified with micronutrients and vitamins based on local nutritional deficiencies.
Tetra Pak will supply Tetra Brik Aseptic® 125 packaging, ensuring that the product remains fresh for up to 12 months and thus maximising the distribution time window across the country. By partnering with Tetra Pak, partners will minimise the impact of transport delays, which are common in Yemen due to damaged infrastructure.
The initiative will also be used 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.

HSA Group and Tetra Pak have been partners for over 20 years and share a passionate commitment to the wellbeing of the Yemeni people. The initiative will be Tetra Pak's first school feeding programme in Yemen.

HSA Group has previously supplied over 7,000MT of high energy date bars to the World Food Programme's School Feeding Programme in Yemen, supporting 140,000 children annually while the project was running.

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

Nabil Hayel Saeed Anam, Managing Director, HSA Group – Yemen region said:

"Yemen's next generation faces an uncertain and challenging future. Feeding these children is a moral imperative and essential for Yemen's future.

"Young people are disproportionately affected by Yemen's ongoing food security crisis, while millions remain out of school.

"The country cannot afford a lost generation where millions of children, even if they survive the famine, will grow up with their minds and bodies stunted because of lack of nutrients.

"This transformative project aims to alleviate the burden of these challenges on young people, in a period of life that is essential to both intellectual and physical growth.

"It is our hope that, by working together with Tetra Pak, we will be able to support the health and wellbeing of Yemen's young and ambitious population, nurturing talent and unlocking potential."

Niels Hougaard, Managing Director, Tetra Pak Arabia said:

"The challenges faced by Yemen's food systems require immediate and continuous efforts to make food available, particularly for the younger population. The foods and beverages sector, when operating responsibly, has the power to make a huge difference in this matter.

"Our partnership with HSA Group is a statement to Tetra Pak's commitment to protecting food, people, and the planet. We are looking forward to making this project happen and to contributing to food security relief in Yemen.

"We will continue to innovate with our customers and realise our vision of making food safe and available, everywhere, especially in conflict zones, where people wake up every day just to survive."

About HSA Group

HSA Group (HSA) was established in Yemen in 1938 by four brothers from the Saeed Anam family and is now one of the largest multinational conglomerates based in the Middle East, employing over 35,000 people across its operations. HSA remains a family-owned business and operates across various markets, including Yemen, the UAE, Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, the UK, and Africa.

As a key player in global trade networks, HSA is the parent organisation for over 70 operating companies. The organisation's commercial activities include producing market-leading food and beverage brands, packaging, household goods and healthcare products, importing and manufacturing essential foodstuffs and commodities.

In its work to support diverse development and humanitarian initiatives in the Middle East and beyond, HSA Group partners with UN agencies and humanitarian organisations, such as the WFP and WHO, to support the delivery of public health, nutrition and food security programmes.

About Tetra Pak

Tetra Pak is a world leading food processing and packaging solutions company. Working closely with our customers and suppliers, we provide safe, innovative and environmentally sound products that each day meet the needs of hundreds of millions of people in more than 160 countries. With more than 25,000 employees around the world, we believe in responsible industry leadership and a sustainable approach to business. 

Our promise, "PROTECTS WHAT'S GOOD™️," reflects our vision to commit to making food safe and available, everywhere.

More information about Tetra Pak is available at www.tetrapak.com

SOURCE HSA Group